Kildress Plumbing Chase (Grade 2)

Off time: 15:16 | Winning time: 4m 53.50s

Croke Park¹⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 12-0| J: Danny Gilligan| T: G Elliott| OR: 153| D

4/1

Smart chaser. 11/4, respectable 15¾ lengths third of 6 to Heart Wood in Gr 3 chase at Punchestown (23.2f, good to soft) 17 days ago. Should come on for that return but he must concede weight all round.

Form: 11127-3

Gorgeous Tom¹⁸⁶

Age: 7| Weight: 11-7| J: Darragh O'Keeffe| T: H De Bromhead| OR: 150| D

9/4

Smart chaser. Latest win in chase at Cork in November. Below form 31½ lengths fourth of 8 to Champ Kiely in Champion Novices' Chase (14/1) at Punchestown (25f, good). Off 6 months. Back down in trip and he's a big player if returning at the top of his game.

Form: 1F1444-

Firefox¹⁹⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 11-4| J: Jack Kennedy| T: G Elliott| OR: 151| CD

8/11

Smart chaser. C&D winner. 6/1, good 4½ lengths second of 6 to Spindleberry in WillowWarm Gold Cup Novices' Chase at Fairyhouse (20f, soft). Off 6 months but that no concern given yard he represents and he's fancied to double his tally over fences.

Form: 132362-

Ivar The Boneless^t²⁶⁹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-0| J: Donagh Meyler| T: R K Watson| OR: 82

300/1

Poor chaser. Blinkered for 1st time, twelfth of 13 in handicap hurdle (80/1) at Fairyhouse (19.8f, soft). Off 8 months. Switches from hurdles to chase. Impossible task.

Form: 6/795P0-

Rockstown Girl^t²⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 10-7| J: Eoghan Finegan| T: A McCann| D

80/1

Fair hurdler. Fair winner at 19f over hurdles. Second of 4 in novice chase (13/8) at Cork (17.6f, good) 20 days ago, no match for winner. Right up against it.

Form: 70-U042

Non-Runners

Speculatrix²⁰

Weight: 10-7| Age: 6

T: G Elliott J: Sam Ewing

Forecasts

Firefox (8/11), Gorgeous Tom (9/4), Croke Park (4/1), Speculatrix (9/2), Rockstown Girl (80/1), Ivar The Boneless (300/1)

Gordon Elliott seemingly holds the aces here with FIREFOX taken to deservedly add to his sole chase success on his return to action. Stablemate Speculatrix shouldn't be underestimated in receipt of plenty of weight from the main players, with Gorgeous Tom also expected to be involved.