13:25 Navan

Saturday 20 September 2025

All13:2514:0014:3515:1015:4516:2016:5517:30

Bet XS Maiden Hurdle

Off time: 13:25 | Winning time: 3m 46.7s

Friary Road^t⁴⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: Shane O'Callaghan⁽⁵⁾| T: T M Walsh| D

10/1

Dual bumper winner. Fit from the Flat (placed in maidens this summer). Makes hurdle debut.

Form: 51157-

God Help Me¹⁴¹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: Conor Stone-Walsh| T: N C Kelly

28/1

Thrice-raced maiden under NH rules. Ninth of 22 in bumper (66/1) at Punchestown (18.8f, good to soft) 141 days ago. Switches from bumpers to hurdles. First run for yard after leaving Stuart Crawford.

Form: 2/749-

Matt Connor^h¹²

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: Jordan Gainford| T: J P Dempsey

40/1

Fair Flat winner. Twice-raced maiden over hurdles. 6/1, fifth of 16 in novice hurdle at Galway (16.7f, soft) 12 days ago.

Form: 45

Minella Diamond⁷⁴³

Age: 7| Weight: 11-12| J: Danny Mullins| T: W J Lanigan

33/1

Lightly-raced winner under NH rules. Winner in bumper at Killarney in July 2023. Second on hurdle debut that summer but off since a below-form sixth of 15 in novice hurdle at Kilbeggan (19f, good, 2/1) 2 years ago.

Form: 232126/

Minella Hollow³⁰⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: Daniel King| T: J Nallen| BF| D

10/3

Useful dual bumper winner. 10/11, 6¾ lengths fourth of 6 to Fortune De Mer in listed bumper at Cheltenham (16.4f, good to soft). Interesting recruit to hurdles.

Form: 114-

Mr Mills¹⁰⁶

Age: 7| Weight: 11-12| J: Ryan Treacy| T: M G Quinn| C

250/1

Struggled on Flat in recent times ahead of hurdle debut.

Form:

Harpy Eagle²²

Age: 4| Weight: 11-10| J: Paddy Cody⁽⁷⁾| T: R P Cody| OR: 104

12/1

Lightly-raced maiden. 2/1, creditable second of 13 in novice hurdle at Wexford (16.9f, good) 22 days ago.

Form: 09U-32

Powerful¹⁴⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 11-10| J: Simon Torrens| T: Mrs J Harrington

18/5

Promising type. Second of 14 in novice hurdle (3/1) at Kilbeggan (16f, good to soft) 148 days ago, just failing. Should have more to offer.

Form: 052-

Royal Approval⁸⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 11-10| J: Jack Kennedy| T: G Elliott

5/1

17/2 and cheekpieces on for 1st time, won 11-runner Flat handicap at Newcastle (10.2f) 86 days ago, kept up to work. First run for yard after leaving Andrew Balding. A likely type for the Gordon Elliott yard.

Form:

Touch The Moon¹¹⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 11-10| J: Philip Byrnes| T: W Durkan

8/1

Useful Flat winner. 14/1 and cheekpieces on for 1st time, eighth of 11 in handicap at Ripon (9.8f, good). First run for yard after leaving George Scott. Another hurdle debutant to consider.

Form:

Barrogstown Girl⁴³

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: Aidan Kelly⁽³⁾| T: J P Fahey| BF

33/1

Fair Flat winner, making GB/IRE jumps debut. Ninth of 12 in handicap (11/4) at Tipperary (12.5f, good to firm) 43 days ago.

Form:

Hillhead Runner^t³¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: Keith Donoghue| T: G P Cromwell| OR: 113| D

9/2

Fair hurdler. Very good second of 16 in novice hurdle at Sligo (17.5f, good, 16/5) 31 days ago. Might prove best of those with hurdle experience.

Form: 1-42F32

Hurricane Helen²⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 11-5| J: Donagh Meyler| T: R O'Sullivan| C

33/1

Twice-raced maiden over hurdles. Fair winner at 10f on flat. First run since leaving Christopher David Timmons when fifth of 16 in novice hurdle at Killarney (16.4f, good to soft, 25/1) 28 days ago.

Form: 0/5

Stepdance³⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: Darragh O'Keeffe| T: H De Bromhead

16/1

On the up with 3 Flat wins for this yard in recent months. Thise were at a modest level but still an interesting recruit to hurdles.

Form:

Poyraz Approach^h1³⁰⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-3| J: James Smith⁽⁵⁾| T: M J Smith

200/1

Making GB/IRE jumps debut. 14/1, first run since leaving Henk Grewe when last of 10 in handicap at Dundalk (10.7f) on IRE debut. Off 10 months. Hooded for 1st time.

Form:

Wonderwalk^h²²

Age: 4| Weight: 11-3| J: P J O'Hanlon| T: V C Ward

200/1

Modest maiden on the Flat. Twice-raced maiden. Fifth of 7 in novice hurdle (66/1) at Down Royal (17.4f, good to firm) 22 days ago.

Form: 65

Non-Runners

O'Reilly⁵⁰

Weight: 11-12| Age: 7

T: Peter Fahey J: Reserve 1

Kilt¹²

Weight: 11-10| Age: 4

T: P J Rothwell J: Reserve 2

Keaner's Boy⁴⁶

Weight: 11-12| Age: 5

T: V C Ward J: Reserve 3

Forecasts

Minella Hollow (10/3), Powerful (18/5), Hillhead Runner (9/2), Royal Approval (5/1), Touch The Moon (8/1), Friary Road (10/1), Harpy Eagle (12/1), Stepdance (16/1), God Help Me (28/1), Hurricane Helen (33/1), Barrogstown Girl (33/1), Minella Diamond (33/1), Matt Connor (40/1), Wonderwalk (200/1), Poyraz Approach (200/1), Mr Mills (250/1)

Several possibilities here. MINELLA HOLLOW was useful in bumpers and might be worth siding with. Royal Approval achieved enough on the Flat in Britain for Andrew Balding to think he could make an impact now hurdling for Gordon Elliott. Hillhead Runner and the improving Powerful look best of those with hurdle experience.