13:50 Punchestown

Thursday 11 December 2025

All11:5012:2012:5013:2013:5014:2014:5015:23

Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden Hurdle

Off time: 13:52 | Winning time: 4m 25.7s

Espresso Milan²²³

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

8/11

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 Diamond³²

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

7/4

Promising individual. Point winner. Second of 11 in maiden hurdle at Naas (18.9f, heavy, 10/3) on NH debut 32 days ago. Leading claims with improvement likely.

Form: R1-2

Themorethemerrier³²

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

50/1

Once-raced maiden. Thirteenth of 16 in novice hurdle at Naas (16f, heavy, 50/1) on NH debut 32 days ago.

Form: 0

Blue Velvet²⁷⁷

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

10/3

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

100/1

€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

50/1

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

150/1

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

Form:

The Cobblers Wife²⁸

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

150/1

Once-raced maiden. 125/1, sixteenth of 21 in novice hurdle at this course (15.8f, heavy) on NH debut 28 days ago.

Form: 0

Non-Runners

Strange Currency¹⁸

Weight: 11-12| Age: 5

T: G O'Loughlin J: Ben Harvey

Forecasts

Espresso Milan (8/11), Newbrook Diamond (7/4), Blue Velvet (10/3), Fly Away Home (50/1), Themorethemerrier (50/1), Strange Currency (50/1), Boston Breeze (100/1), The Cobblers Wife (150/1), Takemebacktodakota (150/1)

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.