15:18 Punchestown

Monday 12 January 2026

All12:4813:1813:4814:1814:4815:1815:48

Matchbook Betting Exchange Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 15:19 | Winning time: 6m 1.60s

Folly Master⁵¹

Age: 8| Weight: 11-12| J: Keith Donoghue| T: Tom Dreaper| OR: 109| C

7/2

Course winner. Useful winner at 21f in chases. Good second of 13 in handicap chase at Fairyhouse (24.6f, soft, 4/1), sticking to task. Off 8 months. Switches from chase to hurdles. May well do better.

Form: 1F212/5

Money Heist^p²⁸

Age: 9| Weight: 11-11| J: Mr D McGill⁽⁷⁾| T: Gary McGill| OR: 108| BF

25/1

First run since leaving Gavin Patrick Cromwell when respectable tenth of 16 in handicap hurdle at Naas (16f, heavy, 4/1) 28 days ago. Significantly back up in trip.

Form: 3452/70

The Man's Room^p³⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 11-8| J: Brian Hayes| T: Colm Murphy| OR: 105

25/1

Fell in handicap hurdle (22/1) at Fairyhouse (16f, soft) 30 days ago. Significantly up in trip.

Form: 26627F

Cathryns Ruby^t¹⁷

Age: 9| Weight: 11-5| J: Sean O'Keeffe| T: P T Foley| OR: 102

33/1

Winner in hurdle at Wexford in October. Respectable fourth of 12 in handicap hurdle at Limerick (20f, heavy, 33/1) 17 days ago. Looks competitive on form.

Form: U061F4

Cornmarket¹⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 11-5| J: Alan King⁽⁷⁾| T: John Cullen| OR: 102

40/1

3 wins from 6 runs this season. Latest win in hurdle at Sligo in October. Fell in handicap hurdle (33/1) at Leopardstown (20.7f, good) 15 days ago.

Form: 11441F

Rocky's Howya⁵⁰

Age: 10| Weight: 11-4| J: Kevin Healy⁽⁷⁾| T: D Queally| OR: 101

14/1

Remains a maiden after 22 NH runs. 6/1, seventh of 15 in handicap hurdle at Cork (24.2f, soft) 50 days ago.

Form: 2410/U7

Westernersunrise^t¹⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 11-4| J: Mr S Connor⁽⁷⁾| T: J Fahey| OR: 101

9/2

Good third of 12 in handicap hurdle (6/1) at Limerick (20f, heavy) 17 days ago. Merits consideration.

Form: 4541/03

Siege Ofjadotville^b¹⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 11-3| J: Liam McKenna⁽⁵⁾| T: M Hassett| OR: 100

12/1

Blinkered for 1st time, creditable eighth of 16 in handicap hurdle at Limerick (24f, heavy, 11/1) 15 days ago. Needs a couple of these to falter.

Form: 910/6U8

Pictures Of Home^b¹¹

Age: 10| Weight: 11-0| J: Jack Kennedy| T: T M Walsh| OR: 97

28/1

20/1 and cheekpieces on for 1st time, pulled up in handicap hurdle at Fairyhouse (26f, good to soft) 11 days ago, pulled up before 4 out.

Form: U444P/P

Fighting Falcon^t¹⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: Ryan Treacy| T: J Halley| OR: 95

20/1

Lightly-raced maiden. 28/1, very good fifth of 13 in handicap hurdle at Limerick (16f, heavy) 16 days ago. Significantly up in trip. Tongue strap back on.

Form: 08/95

Difficult Decision^t,p¹⁶

Age: 13| Weight: 10-11| J: Phillip Enright| T: O McKiernan| OR: 94

16/1

Sixth of 12 in handicap chase (9/2) at Limerick (22.6f, heavy) 16 days ago. Switches from chase to hurdles. Tongue strap back on.

Form: 13PP/46

Lough Nigara^p1,h¹¹

Age: 9| Weight: 10-10| J: Ricky Doyle| T: E Griffin| OR: 93

5/1

Creditable third of 17 in handicap hurdle at Fairyhouse (26f, good to soft, 5/1) 11 days ago. Cheekpieces on 1st time. Can make presence felt.

Form: 4/73323

Dalmatic^b¹⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 10-7| J: Gary Noonan| T: W J O'Doherty| OR: 90

12/1

15/2 and blinkered for 1st time, career best when winning 18-runner handicap hurdle at Limerick (21.4f, heavy) 15 days ago, well positioned. Others more persuasive.

Form: 48/0641

Nettuno Italia⁵⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 10-6| J: Shane Markey⁽⁷⁾| T: R O'Sullivan| OR: 89

3/1

10/3, bit below form fifth of 12 in handicap hurdle at Limerick (24.4f, heavy) 55 days ago, finishing with running left. Expected to be bang there.

Form: 045/545

Sock It To Me³⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 10-6| J: Tiernan Power Roche⁽³⁾| T: P J Rothwell| OR: 89

11/1

Lightly-raced maiden. Good fifth of 20 in handicap hurdle (25/1) at Fairyhouse (20.2f, soft) 30 days ago. Easy to look elsewhere.

Form: 9905

Mahler Appeal^p¹¹

Age: 10| Weight: 10-2| J: Cian Quirke| T: G J Power| OR: 85

80/1

One win from 26 NH runs. Fell in handicap chase (28/1) at Tramore (22.8f, soft) 11 days ago. Switches from chase to hurdles.

Form: 7P0/PPF

Non-Runners

Rockstown Girl¹⁵

Weight: 11-6| Age: 8

T: A McCann J: Alex Harvey

Empire Walk²⁸

Weight: 11-2| Age: 5

T: J Motherway J: Eoin Staples

Accustomed¹⁵

Weight: 11-0| Age: 6

T: E D Delany J: Jordan Gainford

B Da Powders⁷¹

Weight: 10-3| Age: 7

T: D Queally J: Kevin A Murphy

Forecasts

Nettuno Italia (3/1), Folly Master (7/2), Westernersunrise (9/2), Lough Nigara (5/1), Empire Walk (11/2), Sock It To Me (11/1), Siege Ofjadotville (12/1), Dalmatic (12/1), Rocky's Howya (14/1), B Da Powders (14/1), Difficult Decision (16/1), Accustomed (16/1), Fighting Falcon (20/1), Money Heist (25/1), The Man's Room (25/1), Pictures Of Home (28/1), Cathryns Ruby (33/1), Cornmarket (40/1), Mahler Appeal (80/1), Rockstown Girl (100/1)

Having progressed with each of his 3 starts in maiden hurdles at up to 2½m, EMPIRE WALK may well have more to offer now upped in trip for this handicap bow and he earns the vote. Preference for the 5-y-o is only marginal, though, as Folly Master resumes in this sphere on a potentially very handy mark (21 lb below the mark off which he went close in a Fairyhouse handicap chase last spring) and is greatly respected. Westernersunrise is third choice ahead of Lough Nigara and Nettuno Italia.