14:22 Leopardstown

Saturday 27 December 2025

All12:0512:3713:1213:4714:2215:0015:30

National Maternity Hospital Foundation Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 14:22 | Winning time: 3m 58.50s

Path D'oroux^p,t²⁷

Age: 8| Weight: 11-12| J: Keith Donoghue| T: G P Cromwell| OR: 137| D

22/1

33/1, respectable fifth of 10 in handicap hurdle at Fairyhouse (16f, soft) 27 days ago. Can make presence felt.

Form: 204P-35

Laafi⁴¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-10| J: Philip Byrnes| T: W Durkan| OR: 135| D

18/1

Thrice-raced winner over hurdles. Useful winner at 10f on flat. Blinkers on for 1st time in this code, twelfth of 18 in handicap hurdle (33/1) at Cheltenham (16.4f, soft) 41 days ago. Needs to bounce back.

Form: 13-0

Bowensonfire^h²⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-7| J: Jack Kennedy| T: G Elliott| OR: 132| BF| D

3/1

Good second of 10 in handicap hurdle at Fairyhouse (16f, soft, 7/2) 27 days ago. Yard having good spell. Another bold show likely.

Form: U43332

Balko D'ange⁴⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: Brian Hayes| T: P Fenton| OR: 130| D

7/1

1 win from 3 runs this season. Career best when winning 11-runner handicap hurdle at Navan (16.2f, heavy, 4/1) 40 days ago, kept up to work. Not taken lightly in his current mood.

Form: 243-451

Ace Brannigan⁴⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: Darragh O'Keeffe| T: H De Bromhead| OR: 129| D

10/1

Thrice-raced winner under NH rules. 6/1, 35¾ lengths fourth of 7 to I'll Sort That in For Auction Novices' Hurdle at Navan (16.2f, heavy) 40 days ago. Makes handicap hurdle debut. Should improve. Well in the mix.

Form: 2C-14

Feud²⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: Sean O'Keeffe| T: R O'Brien| OR: 129| D

33/1

Below form ninth of 20 in handicap hurdle (40/1) at Fairyhouse (20.5f, soft) 28 days ago. Back down in trip.

Form: 1-02P09

Prairie Dancer^p¹²⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 11-3| J: Hugh Horgan⁽⁵⁾| T: J P O'Brien| OR: 128| D

33/1

Fourth of 5 in minor event hurdle at Down Royal (24f, good to firm, 13/2) 120 days ago. Cheekpieces back on now and can give a good account.

Form: 4-72374

Sainte Lucie^h²³⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 11-2| J: Paul Townend| T: W P Mullins| OR: 127| D

11/2

50/1, below form seventh of 12 to Lulamba in Champion Juvenile Hurdle at Punchestown (16f, good to soft), going in snatches. Off 7 months so could bounce back for top yard.

Form: 3/18857-

Joueur Masque^h³⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 11-0| J: Mark Walsh| T: W P Mullins| OR: 125| BF| D

5/1

1 win from 2 runs this season. Winner in hurdle at Punchestown in June. Sixth of 9 in handicap hurdle at Punchestown (16.9f, soft, 7/2) 34 days ago. Remains open to progress.

Form: 1/48-16

Icare Desbois^t³¹

Age: 7| Weight: 10-13| J: Sean Flanagan| T: D H Kelly| OR: 124| D

40/1

Tongue strap on for 1st time, creditable seventh of 14 in maiden at Dundalk (12f, 8/1) 31 days ago. Switches from Flat to hurdles. Tongue strap on 1st time over jumps. Possibilities.

Form: U27695-

Littlefoot⁴²

Age: 7| Weight: 10-9| J: Danny Gilligan| T: M A Molloy| OR: 120

16/1

Eighth of 10 in handicap hurdle at Cheltenham (21f, soft, 20/1) 42 days ago. Back down in trip. Merits consideration if shrugging aside latest effort.

Form: 3002-28

Matt Connor⁷⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 10-3| J: Luke Dempsey| T: J P Dempsey| OR: 114| D

20/1

9/2, career best when winning 11-runner handicap hurdle at Limerick (16.3f, soft) 70 days ago. In fine heart at present and firmly in the picture.

Form: 45751

Walhaan^p,t²⁴

Age: 9| Weight: 10-3| J: Michael Kenneally⁽⁷⁾| T: Ciaran Murphy| OR: 114| CD

18/1

C&D winner who landed 12-runner handicap (9/1) at Dundalk (10.7f) 24 days ago, well positioned. Switches from Flat to hurdles with cheekpieces back on and weighted to go well.

Form: 8048-69

En Or^t¹²

Age: 7| Weight: 10-1| J: Daniel King| T: A J Martin| OR: 112

6/1

7/1, respectable seventh of 16 in handicap hurdle at Naas (16f, heavy) 12 days ago. Tongue strap back on. Not dismissed.

Form: P57/92-7

Free Flow¹²

Age: 5| Weight: 10-0| J: Shane O'Callaghan⁽⁵⁾| T: R O'Sullivan| OR: 109| D

33/1

16/1, eleventh of 16 in handicap hurdle at Naas (16f, heavy) 12 days ago. Plenty to find on form.

Form: 631-800

Kimy²²⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 10-0| J: Jake Coen| T: T Mullins| OR: 108

50/1

Last of 8 in handicap hurdle (5/1) at Clonmel (16.7f, good to firm). Off 7 months with work to do.

Form: 72P0U-8

Someone's Wish^p²²

Age: 5| Weight: 10-0| J: Sam Ewing| T: G Elliott| OR: 106

28/1

8/1, respectable sixth of 14 in handicap at Dundalk (12f) 22 days ago. Switches from Flat to hurdles (won at Downpatrick in October) and not ruled out.

Form: 8294-18

Forecasts

Bowensonfire (3/1), Joueur Masque (5/1), Sainte Lucie (11/2), En Or (6/1), Balko D'ange (7/1), Ace Brannigan (10/1), Littlefoot (16/1), Laafi (18/1), Walhaan (18/1), Matt Connor (20/1), Path D'oroux (22/1), Someone's Wish (28/1), Prairie Dancer (33/1), Free Flow (33/1), Feud (33/1), Icare Desbois (40/1), Kimy (50/1)

Plenty are in with a shout but WALHAAN rates just the pick of the weights so is fancied to bag another C&D success at the chief expense of improving Limerick scorer Matt Connor who rates a big threat. Bowensonfire is another who brings solid credentials to the table along with Balko d'Ange, Ace Brannigan, Joueur Masque and Prairie Dancer.