Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden Hurdle

5YO plus | 2m 12y | 9 Runners | Turf

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: Paul Townend| T: W P Mullins

Fair form in bumpers for Fergal O'Brien, including second at Market Rasen in February. Has switched to Willie Mullins for his hurdle career. Could have a big say.

Form: 427-

Newbrook Diamond³⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: Jack Kennedy| T: G Elliott

Promising individual. Point winner. Second of 11 in maiden hurdle at Naas (18.9f, heavy, 10/3) on NH debut 30 days ago. Leading claims with improvement likely.

Form: R1-2

Strange Currency¹⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: Ben Harvey| T: G O'Loughlin

Maiden pointer, last of 5 finishers last time (Nov 23). Best watched on hurdle debut.

Themorethemerrier³⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: Mark Walsh| T: M Brassil

Once-raced maiden. Thirteenth of 16 in novice hurdle at Naas (16f, heavy, 50/1) on NH debut 30 days ago.

Form: 0

Blue Velvet²⁷⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: Danny Mullins| T: W P Mullins| D

Thrice-raced winner in bumpers. Third of 7 in bumper (3/1) at Naas (16f, soft) when last seen in March. Makes hurdle debut after 9 months off. Townend on yard's other runner but still much respected.

Form: U/173-

Boston Breeze

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: Brian Hayes| T: L P Cusack

€50,000 3-y-o, Telescope mare. Dam (c130/h127), 2m-2½m hurdle/chase winner, sister to fairly useful hurdler/useful chaser (stays 25f) Everglow.

Form:

Fly Away Home

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: Philip Byrnes| T: C Byrnes

Wings of Eagles mare. Half-sister to 4 winners, including fairly useful hurdler/fair chaser Aodhan May and fairly useful hurdler Minnies Secret, stayed 2½m. Check the betting with this newcomer.

Form:

Takemebacktodakota

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: Conor Lamon⁽⁷⁾| T: A Sexton

Mahler mare. Dam, unraced, closely related to useful hurdler/high-class chaser (stayed 3¼m) Total Recall.

Form:

The Cobblers Wife²⁶

Age: 7| Weight: 11-5| J: Michael J Doyle⁽⁷⁾| T: G M Doyle

Once-raced maiden. 125/1, sixteenth of 21 in novice hurdle at this course (15.8f, heavy) on NH debut 26 days ago.

Form: 0

Forecasts

Espresso Milan (5/4), Blue Velvet (7/4), Newbrook Diamond (5/2), Fly Away Home (16/1), Takemebacktodakota (33/1), Boston Breeze (33/1), Strange Currency (33/1), Themorethemerrier (66/1), The Cobblers Wife (66/1)

Point winner NEWBROOK DIAMOND gets the nod to build on his promising hurdle debut second at Naas last month. Willie Mullins hurdle newcomers Espresso Milan and Blue Velvet are likely to give him most to think about.