13:05 Limerick

Sunday 28 December 2025

All12:3013:0513:4014:1514:5015:2515:55

CUBE Maiden Hurdle

Off time: 13:06 | Winning time: 5m 56.7s

Minella Emperor²⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: Mr M J O'Neill⁽⁷⁾| T: E Mullins

11/1

Fairly useful bumper winner who shaped with plenty of encouragement when fourth of 18 in novice hurdle at Clonmel (19.4f, heavy) 26 days ago, would have benefited from stronger handling. Likely to improve with this step up in trip promising to suit.

Form: 1351P4

Panjandrum¹⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: Jordan Gainford| T: G Elliott| BF

13/2

Made a successful bumper debut at Clonmel in November before bumping into Oh My Word in listed bumper at Navan (16f, heavy) 14 days ago. Interesting hurdling debutant.

Form: U1-12

Battle With Time¹³³⁷

Age: 9| Weight: 11-4| J: Brian Barry⁽⁷⁾| T: M Flannery

150/1

Battle of Marengo gelding. Dam unraced. Placed on last of 3 starts in points (May 2022).

Form: P73/

Classic Tuxedo^t1

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: Simon Torrens| T: E Griffin

100/1

Ask gelding. Dam, placed on second of 2 starts over hurdles, half-sister to smart hurdler/chaser (17f-21f winner) Le Tranquille and fairly useful hurdler/useful chaser (stays 3m) Karl Philippe. Wears tongue strap.

Form:

Freddie's Back^t1³⁶⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: Calum Hogan⁽⁷⁾| T: E McNamara

25/1

Winning pointer who was said to have bled when ninth of 11 in novice hurdle at this course (21f, soft) on NH debut. Off 12 months. Tongue strap on for 1st time.

Form: 19-

Khmer³³

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: Daniel King| T: T Cooper| BF

14/1

Fair hurdler. Creditable third of 14 in novice hurdle at Tramore (16.2f, soft, evens) 33 days ago. Significantly up in trip.

Form: 7243-F3

King's Bucks⁴⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: Mike O'Connor| T: H De Bromhead

4/5

Promising type who was much improved from hurdling debut when 3 lengths third of 9 to No Drama This End in Hyde Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham (21f, heavy, 12/1) 44 days ago, finishing well. Sure to progress further and very much the one to beat.

Form: 12-43

Luck Between Us²¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: John Shinnick⁽³⁾| T: D Duggan| OR: 104

50/1

Modest hurdler. 40/1, nineteenth of 24 in handicap hurdle at Cork (20f, soft) 21 days ago. Easy to look elsewhere on these terms.

Form: 428360

Moorish Castle²⁴⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: Richard Condon⁽⁵⁾| T: P A Fahy

150/1

Well held in bumper/maiden hurdle. Off 8 months.

Form: 98-

Rony Has²⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: Philip Byrnes| T: C Byrnes

12/1

Thrice-raced maiden under NH rules. 25/1, went backwards from hurdling bow when seventh of 24 in minor event hurdle at Fairyhouse (16f, soft) 29 days ago. Significantly back up in trip.

Form: 247

You Proof³⁹³

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: Danny Mullins| T: W P Mullins

3/1

Runner-up sole outing in points but was too free when fifth of 10 in bumper (11/4) at Fairyhouse (16f, good) on NH debut. Off 13 months. Makes hurdles debut. Significantly up in trip.

Form: 2/5-

Nothing Da Now¹³

Age: 5| Weight: 10-11| J: Philip Donovan⁽³⁾| T: M Magnussen

300/1

Little promise in bumpers/maiden hurdles. Engaged 12.17 here Saturday.

Form: 0500

Queen O'droad

Age: 5| Weight: 10-11| J: Ben Harvey| T: C Collins

80/1

Lauro mare. Dam, ran once in bumper, half-sister to useful dual bumper winner/useful hurdler (2½m winner) Fionnegas.

Form:

Non-Runners

Kaiser De Chanay⁵²

Weight: 11-4| Age: 5

T: M Brassil J: Conor Brassil

Forecasts

King's Bucks (4/5), You Proof (3/1), Panjandrum (13/2), Minella Emperor (11/1), Rony Has (12/1), Khmer (14/1), Freddie's Back (25/1), Kaiser De Chanay (25/1), Luck Between Us (50/1), Queen O'droad (80/1), Classic Tuxedo (100/1), Moorish Castle (150/1), Battle With Time (150/1), Nothing Da Now (300/1)

KING'S BUCKS was much improved from hurdling debut when third in a Grade 2 at Cheltenham last month and has to be considered the one to beat back in less demanding company with further improvement on the cards. Minella Emperor seems sure to build on a promising run at Clonmel, especially now stepping up in trip, while Panjandrum has shown plenty in a pair of bumpers and must enter calculations, too.