15:18 Punchestown

Monday 12 January 2026

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

Matchbook Betting Exchange Handicap Hurdle

4YO plus | 2m 6f | 20 Runners | Turf

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

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: 1F/212-5

Money Heist^p²⁸

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

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

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

Form: 26627F

Rockstown Girl^t¹⁵

Age: 8| Weight: 11-6| J: Alex Harvey| T: A McCann| OR: 103

Eleven runs since last win in 2024. 50/1, pulled up in handicap hurdle at Leopardstown (20.7f, good) 15 days ago, tailed off when hampered 3 out. Tough to assess at present.

Form: 4240PP

Cathryns Ruby^t¹⁷

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

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

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

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

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

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

Empire Walk²⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-2| J: Eoin Staples⁽⁵⁾| T: J Motherway| OR: 99

Thrice-raced maiden. Second of 16 in novice hurdle (7/1) at Naas (19f, heavy) 28 days ago, running on late. Makes handicap hurdle debut. Should improve.

Form: 54-752

Accustomed¹⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 11-0| J: Jordan Gainford| T: E D Delany| OR: 97

Creditable sixth of 23 in handicap hurdle (25/1) at Leopardstown (20.7f, good) 15 days ago. Enters calculations.

Form: F42006

Pictures Of Home^b¹¹

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

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: U/444P-P

Fighting Falcon^t¹⁶

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

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^p,t¹⁶

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

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

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

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

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

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

B Da Powders^t1⁷¹

Age: 7| Weight: 10-3| J: Kevin A Murphy⁽⁷⁾| T: D Queally| OR: 86

Lightly-raced maiden. 250/1, thirteenth of 15 in novice hurdle at Cork (20f, good to soft) 71 days ago. Tongue strap on for 1st time. Makes handicap hurdle debut. Should progress.

Form: 9-570

Mahler Appeal^p¹¹

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

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

Forecasts

Folly Master (11/4), Westernersunrise (13/2), Dalmatic (8/1), Lough Nigara (10/1), Money Heist (10/1), Empire Walk (12/1), Pictures Of Home (14/1), Rocky's Howya (14/1), Nettuno Italia (14/1), Fighting Falcon (14/1), Sock It To Me (16/1), Accustomed (16/1), Difficult Decision (16/1), Siege Ofjadotville (16/1), The Man's Room (20/1), Cathryns Ruby (20/1), Cornmarket (25/1), B Da Powders (25/1), Rockstown Girl (33/1), Mahler Appeal (33/1)

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.