13:40 Fairyhouse

Saturday 13 December 2025

All11:3012:0212:3213:0513:4014:1514:5015:25

Fairyhouse Christmas Party Maiden Hurdle

Off time: 13:40 | Winning time: 6m 31.00s

Bally Free²⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: Jack Kennedy| T: G Elliott| D

10/3

Promising sort. Fourth of 14 in novice hurdle (6/1) at Punchestown (21.9f, soft) on NH debut 20 days ago, needing stronger gallop. Trainer going well. Open to improvement.

Form: 1-4

Image of Stars that are filled with the colour gold

Banter At The Bar^p²⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: Mark Walsh| T: M F Morris| D

40/1

Twice-raced maiden. Cheekpieces on for 1st time, seventh of 14 in novice hurdle (50/1) at Punchestown (21.9f, soft) 20 days ago. More is required.

Form: 1/7-7

Cornaroya Rocco¹³⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 11-4| J: Adam Leahy⁽⁷⁾| T: J J Hanlon

300/1

Once-raced maiden. Eighteenth of 19 in bumper at Galway (16.6f, good, 125/1) on NH debut 138 days ago. Makes hurdles debut. Significantly up in trip.

Form: 0

Daws Cross²¹⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: Harry Sexton⁽⁷⁾| T: A Sexton

300/1

Twice-raced maiden. 200/1, twelfth of 13 in novice hurdle at Cork (24.4f, good). Off 7 months. First run for yard after leaving Patrick T. Foley.

Form: P-0

Drop A Threat^h,t1³⁴⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: Danny Mullins| T: W P Mullins| BF| D

18/1

11/10 and hooded, raced freely when a well-held seventh of 9 in bumper at this course (16.5f, soft) on NH debut 11 months ago. Makes hurdles debut with tongue strap on for 1st time and this points winner remains with potential.

Form: 1/7-

I Am Lorenzo³⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: Sean Flanagan| T: P Nolan| OR: 127| BF

7/2

Showed fairly useful form when twice runner-up in maiden hurdles for Gavin Patrick Cromwell. A below-form second of 12 in novice hurdle at Clonmel (19.6f, soft) 37 days ago for his new yard but a player back up in trip here.

Form: 6/228-2

Juke Hill⁴³

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: Danny Gilligan| T: G Elliott

16/1

Remote second of 7 in novice hurdle at Down Royal (22.5f, good to soft, 18/1) on NH debut 43 days ago. Trainer going well but a lot more is needed here.

Form: 725-2

Melbourne Shamrock²³

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: Donagh Meyler| T: E Mullins| D

12/1

Promising sort. Fourth of 8 in novice hurdle at Thurles (22.5f, good to soft, 4/1) 23 days ago. Should have more to offer. Considered.

Form: P13/P-4

Porthill⁴⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 11-4| J: Paul Townend| T: W P Mullins

4/5

Runner-up sole start in points (Apr 2022) and bought for £250,000. Encouraging third of 7 in bumper at Wexford (16.4f, soft, 11/4) on his NH debut 47 days ago. Makes hurdles debut significantly up in trip and must enter calculations.

Form: 2/3

Elsa Bay²²

Age: 7| Weight: 10-11| J: Ryan Treacy| T: William P Murphy| D

125/1

Lightly-raced maiden under NH rules. 80/1, good seventh of 16 in novice hurdle at this course (20.4f, heavy) 22 days ago. No forlorn hope.

Form: P5R-5P7

Ersudaly¹⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 10-11| J: Eoin Staples⁽⁷⁾| T: C Bowe| D

150/1

Once-raced maiden. Sixth of 8 in novice hurdle at Tramore (21f, soft, 25/1) on NH debut 18 days ago.

Form: 43-PF16

Forecasts

Porthill (4/5), Bally Free (10/3), I Am Lorenzo (7/2), Melbourne Shamrock (12/1), Juke Hill (16/1), Drop A Threat (18/1), Banter At The Bar (40/1), Elsa Bay (125/1), Ersudaly (150/1), Daws Cross (300/1), Cornaroya Rocco (300/1)

I AM LORENZO holds much the best form on offer and now his stamina is unlocked more he is fancied to get off the mark. Willie Mullins' hurdling debutant Porthill brings plenty of potential and could emerge as the main dangers, although Bally Free can also have a say if, as expected, building on his recent Punchestown fourth. Melbourne Shamrock completes the shortlist.