Limerick Racecourse Claiming Hurdle

5YO plus | 2m 5f | 8 Runners | Turf

Age: 10| Weight: 11-12| J: Kevin Healy⁽⁷⁾| T: D Queally| OR: 102

Fair chaser. Remains a maiden after 23 NH runs. 14/1, third of 16 in handicap hurdle at Punchestown (22f, heavy) 15 days ago. Difficult ask.

Form: 410/U73

Ellaat⁶⁵

Age: 10| Weight: 11-4| J: Philip Byrnes| T: Ian O'Connor| OR: 104

Fair hurdler. Respectable fourth of 11 in handicap hurdle at Cork (15.9f, soft, 40/1) 65 days ago. Significantly back up in trip.

Form: 3313/74

Themanintheboots^b,t1¹⁶

Age: 8| Weight: 11-4| J: Jack Kennedy| T: G Elliott| OR: 108

Fair hurdler. Below form sixth of 12 in novice chase at Punchestown (22.6f, heavy, 8/1) 16 days ago, doing too much too soon. Switches from chase to hurdles. Tongue strap on 1st time.

Form: 492-1P6

Luckinthecity^b1,t³⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 11-0| J: Jordan Gainford| T: C Collins| OR: 130

First run since leaving W. P. Mullins and cheekpieces on for 1st time, pulled up in handicap chase at Thurles (21.6f, good to soft, 40/1) 38 days ago, labouring from early final circuit. Back hurdling but has a lot to prove.

Form: FP/3U5P

Toofareastiswest²⁶

Age: 10| Weight: 10-12| J: John Aherne⁽⁷⁾| T: A O'Grady| OR: 104| CD

Fair hurdler. C&D winner. Pulled up in handicap hurdle at Tramore (16.8f, soft, 80/1) 26 days ago. Back up in trip.

Form: P23PP/P

Cafe Con Leche^p¹⁰

Age: 10| Weight: 10-10| J: Mr A D Bustin⁽⁷⁾| T: C Byrnes| OR: 115| C

Fairly useful hurdler. Course winner. Pulled up in handicap hurdle at Navan (20.2f, heavy, 50/1) 10 days ago, pulled up 2 out. Has good chance on pick of form if he can bounce back.

Form: 04108P

Lady Bee Great²⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 10-10| J: Josh Williamson⁽⁵⁾| T: R O'Sullivan| OR: 96

Modest hurdler. 33/1, twelfth of 18 in handicap hurdle at Punchestown (16.5f, good to soft) 27 days ago. Up in trip. Plenty to find on form.

Form: 0/28860

Embittered^p,t⁶⁵

Age: 12| Weight: 10-8| J: Patrick M O'Brien⁽⁵⁾| T: E McNamara| OR: 126

Fairly useful chaser. Pulled up in handicap chase (50/1) at Cork (21.2f, soft) 65 days ago, pulled up approaching 3 out. Switches from chase to hurdles. Stable having good spell and cheekpieces on eased in grade back hurdling.

Form: 10719P

Forecasts

Embittered (6/4), Cafe Con Leche (3/1), Themanintheboots (7/1), Ellaat (7/1), Rocky's Howya (8/1), Luckinthecity (12/1), Toofareastiswest (16/1), Lady Bee Great (25/1)

This looks decidedly trappy with the key players at the weights all arriving on the back of a heavy defeat. CAFE CON LECHE's form has always been patchy so he's awarded the tentative vote in the hope he's on a "going" day. Embittered has to be a major threat in receipt of weight all round with Themanintheboots also considered.