12:45 Leopardstown

Sunday 28 December 2025

All12:1012:4513:2013:5514:3015:0515:40

Mercedes Benz South Dublin Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 12:47 | Winning time: 5m 12.3s

Hgranca De Thaix⁶⁴

Age: 8| Weight: 11-12| J: Sean Flanagan| T: B Connell| OR: 120| D

22/1

Tenth of 15 in handicap hurdle at Galway (21.9f, good to soft, 9/1) 64 days ago. Would have a leading chance off this mark if he were to put his best foot forward.

Form: 1/408P-0

Jolie Jewel^h³⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 11-8| J: James Smith⁽⁵⁾| T: B McMahon| OR: 116| D

12/1

8/1, career best when winning 12-runner handicap hurdle at Thurles (20f, good to soft) 38 days ago. More needed here off 6 lb higher mark.

Form: 253001

Garnacho^t¹⁴⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-7| J: Thomas O'Connor⁽⁷⁾| T: M Fahey| OR: 115| BF| D

11/2

Winner in hurdle at Bellewstown in July. Bit below form tenth of 18 in handicap hurdle (4/1) at Galway (24.3f, soft) 147 days ago. Others more persuasive.

Form: 2773-10

The Nagger Reidy⁴⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-7| J: Michael Kenneally⁽⁷⁾| T: Stephen Gerard Carey| OR: 115

9/2

11/2, creditable second of 14 in handicap hurdle at Naas (20f, heavy) 49 days ago. Expected to be bang there.

Form: U523-22

Cut The Rope⁵⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: Cian Cullinan⁽⁷⁾| T: E & P Harty| OR: 112

15/2

Creditable sixth of 23 in maiden (20/1) at the Curragh (12f, heavy) 56 days ago. Switches from Flat to hurdles. Respectable on last hurdle run. Something to find on form.

Form: 6/P57-25

Aruntothequeen^t³⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 11-3| J: Sam Ewing| T: Mrs J Harrington| OR: 111

14/1

Tongue strap on for 1st time, creditable sixth of 13 in handicap hurdle (9/1) at Punchestown (19.4f, soft) 36 days ago. Others more persuasive for win purposes.

Form: 213-626

King In Love³⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 11-3| J: Anna McGuinness⁽⁷⁾| T: S Aherne| OR: 111

25/1

Latest win in hurdle at Cork in November. 11/2, below form fifth of 9 in handicap hurdle at Punchestown (16.9f, soft) 35 days ago, not ideally placed. Up in trip. Must improve.

Form: 2P-3P15

Ivybrook²³⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 11-2| J: Liam McKenna⁽⁵⁾| T: D A McLoughlin| OR: 110

66/1

Below form fifth of 18 in novice hurdle at Down Royal (17.4f, good, 5/2). Off 7 months. Makes handicap hurdle debut. Has work to do.

Form: 26976-5

Lambay Island³⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-2| J: Darragh O'Keeffe| T: H De Bromhead| OR: 110

11/2

Very good second of 12 in handicap hurdle at Thurles (20f, good to soft, 5/1) 38 days ago, no match for winner. Should be thereabouts.

Form: 0444-32

His Nibs⁵⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 11-1| J: Kieren Buckley| T: G P Cromwell| OR: 109| BF

14/1

7/2, pulled up in handicap hurdle at Cork (20f, good to soft) 56 days ago, pulled up 3 out. Opposable.

Form: 30755-P

Gone For Tea^p1⁴⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 11-0| J: Conor Stone-Walsh| T: Ian Donoghue| OR: 108

66/1

First run since leaving Peter Fahey when pulled up in handicap hurdle at Punchestown (15.8f, heavy, 25/1) 45 days agot. Cheekpieces on 1st time.

Form: 2/3010-P

Petit King^p¹⁴

Age: 9| Weight: 11-0| J: Eoin Walsh| T: E Cawley| OR: 108

50/1

One win from 24 NH runs. 16/1, good seventh of 19 in handicap hurdle at Navan (20f, heavy) 14 days ago. Improvement needed.

Form: 06PP-47

Rockstown Girl^p,t³¹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-0| J: Eoin Staples⁽⁷⁾| T: A McCann| OR: 108

50/1

20/1 and cheekpieces on for 1st time, pulled up in handicap chase at Thurles (22f, good to soft) 31 days ago, beaten when pulled up before last. Switches from chase to hurdles.

Form: 04240P

Giant Haystacks^p1,t³⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 10-12| J: Danny Gilligan| T: R O'Sullivan| OR: 106| BF| CD

8/1

Winner of this race last year. Creditable fifth of 12 in handicap hurdle (7/2) at Thurles (20f, good to soft) 38 days ago. Cheekpieces on 1st time.

Form: PP-0835

Clonbury Bridge^t,b⁴¹

Age: 9| Weight: 10-11| J: Luke Dempsey| T: J P Dempsey| OR: 105| D

50/1

Latest win in chase at Fairyhouse in October. Good second of 13 in handicap hurdle (12/1) at Navan (20.2f, heavy) 41 days ago. Others more persuasive.

Form: 020162

Cornmarket⁶⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 10-8| J: Alan King⁽⁷⁾| T: John Cullen| OR: 102| D

33/1

3 wins from 5 runs this season. Career best when winning 8-runner handicap hurdle (11/2) at Sligo (25.4f, good to soft) 65 days ago, finding extra. 8 lb rise could find him out here, though.

Form: P-11441

Jury Foreman³⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 10-8| J: Sean O'Keeffe| T: P Nolan| OR: 102

16/1

Thrice-raced maiden. Fourth of 16 in novice hurdle at Cork (15.9f, soft, 33/1) 35 days ago, not knocked about. Up in trip for this handicap hurdle debut and improvement could be on the way.

Form: 644

Warm In Gorey^p⁸⁴

Age: 7| Weight: 10-8| J: Tiernan Power Roche⁽³⁾| T: P J Rothwell| OR: 102| D

28/1

5/1, below form third of 7 in handicap chase at Killarney (17f, good to soft) 84 days ago. Switches from chase to hurdles. Back up in trip and he's not without each-way hope.

Form: 232423

Rockonliam^t⁶²

Age: 5| Weight: 10-7| J: Brian Hayes| T: H De Bromhead| OR: 101| D

15/2

Lightly-raced winner over hurdles. 4/1, creditable third of 14 in handicap hurdle at Wexford (16.4f, soft) 62 days ago, unable to sustain effort. Back up in trip and couldn't rule out.

Form: F/63-163

Person Of Interest^b1,t³¹

Age: 5| Weight: 10-4| J: Gavin Brouder| T: J J Hanlon| OR: 98

28/1

Winner in chase at Downpatrick in August. Pulled up in handicap chase at Thurles (22f, good to soft, 14/1) 31 days ago, pulled up before 3 out. Switches from chase to hurdles. Blinkers on 1st time.

Form: P1P34P

Accustomed¹⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 10-2| J: Harry Sexton⁽⁷⁾| T: E D Delany| OR: 96

25/1

9/1, bit below form twelfth of 19 in handicap hurdle at Navan (20f, heavy) 14 days ago and likely to come up short once more.

Form: 7F4200

King's Son³³

Age: 5| Weight: 10-2| J: Charlie O'Dwyer⁽⁵⁾| T: S Neville| OR: 96

50/1

Lightly-raced maiden. Below form eighth of 16 in handicap hurdle at Tramore (21f, soft, 11/1) 33 days ago.

Form: 2-7528

Lips Freedom^h⁴⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 10-2| J: Cian Quirke| T: A Kinirons| OR: 96

80/1

Thrice-raced maiden. 150/1, eleventh of 16 in novice hurdle at Naas (16f, heavy) 49 days ago. Up in trip for this handicap hurdle debut. Difficult ask.

Form: 0-00

Non-Runners

Coyote Spirit²²

Weight: 11-8| Age: 7

T: G Elliott J: Jack Kennedy

Aurea Fortuna⁴³

Weight: 11-2| Age: 6

T: A J Martin J: Kevin Sexton

Paul Collins³⁵

Weight: 11-2| Age: 5

T: B McMahon J: J J Slevin

Forecasts

The Nagger Reidy (9/2), Garnacho (11/2), Lambay Island (11/2), Rockonliam (15/2), Cut The Rope (15/2), Giant Haystacks (8/1), Coyote Spirit (10/1), Jolie Jewel (12/1), Aruntothequeen (14/1), His Nibs (14/1), Aurea Fortuna (14/1), Jury Foreman (16/1), Hgranca De Thaix (22/1), King In Love (25/1), Accustomed (25/1), Paul Collins (25/1), Warm In Gorey (28/1), Person Of Interest (28/1), Cornmarket (33/1), Petit King (50/1), King's Son (50/1), Rockstown Girl (50/1), Clonbury Bridge (50/1), Ivybrook (66/1), Gone For Tea (66/1), Lips Freedom (80/1)

The unexposed LAMBAY ISLAND found just one too good on last month's handicap debut at Thurles and he is taken to go one better this time. Consistent is a word that springs to mind when considering The Nagger Reidy and he is greatly respected on the back of another solid effort in defeat at Naas. Coyote Spirit and Jury Foreman are both open to improvement now handicapping and are others to consider. Hgranca de Thaix has slipped to an attractive mark and is also shortlisted.