Seamus Mulvaney Bookmaker Novice Hurdle

Off time: 14:30 | Winning time: 3m 59.90s

Cosmos D'ainay¹⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: Jack Kennedy| T: G Elliott| OR: 123| D

11/1

Lightly-raced point/bumper winner who impressed when opening his hurdles account at the third time of asking in maiden at Cork (17.3f) after 11 months off in July. Made the most of a good opportunity when following up at Perth (2m) and remains with potential for all that this is a much stiffer task.

Form: 3/193-11

Image of Stars that are filled with the colour gold

Columbus³³

Age: 5| Weight: 11-7| J: Paul Townend| T: W P Mullins

4/5

Smart on Flat for Christophe Ferland. Joined Willie Mullins for €400,000 and confirmed hurdling debut promise when making all in a 17f maiden at Galway in August, jumping fluently. Tailed off in the Lonsdale Cup back on the level at York latest but better still to come over hurdles.

Form: 21

Golden Handshake³²

Age: 4| Weight: 11-5| J: Philip Byrnes| T: W Durkan| D

2/1

Back-to-back winner on the Flat at around 1½m last summer for William Haggas, before failing to give his running on final 2 outings of the campaign. Closing on the leader when unseating rider on hurdle debut and gained compensation at Killarney (2m) subsequently. Remains potentially useful.

Form: U1

Beir Bua^t⁹⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: Cian Quirke| T: A Slattery| D

8/1

Progressive bumper winner who built on her hurdling debut promise when winning 2¼m maiden at Sligo in May, cruising clear despite an untidy leap at the last. Too free starting out on the Flat at Leopardstown the following month and may get taken on for the lead on this return to hurdling.

Form: 24312-1

Non-Runners

Bartholomew²²

Weight: 11-5| Age: 4

T: M Brassil J: Ricky Doyle

Forecasts

Columbus (4/5), Bartholomew (11/8), Golden Handshake (2/1), Beir Bua (8/1), Cosmos D'ainay (11/1)

BARTHOLOMEW progressed notably well in 3 juvenile hurdles for his current yard last season and is the clear pick at the weights, especially with a recent Flat run under his belt. Columbus was tailed off in the face of a stiff task back on the level at York last time but there's better still to come from him as a hurdler and he's feared most.