1.08 Renvyle House Hotel 3-Y-O Maiden Hurdle 2m 90yds
Common Practice has yet to make the impact over hurdles that his flat form suggested could be the case. However, this is the weakest race that he has contested over hurdles so far and his first two outings over timber came in winners’ events so he may not have as much to find as his form suggests. A respectable sixth to Aghaboy and The Insider at Listowel last month would suggest he could get involved here. In addition, he was just touched off in a decent three-year-old mile-and-a-half handicap at this track in July.
Common Practice is preferred to Impero who was rated 82 on the flat at one point this year and put together a number of solid maiden and handicap efforts on the level.
SELECTION: COMMON PRACTICE
Next best: Impero
1.43 Connolly’s Red Mills Irish EBF
Auction Maiden Hurdle 2m 90yds
This looks a potentially smart contest and marginal preference goes to Sandor Clegane. He wasn’t at his best on his final start last term but his debut success at Punchestown was impressive and his second to Facile Vega in a Grade 2 bumper at Leopardstown represents another strong piece of form.
He is preferred to Three Card Brag who made a bright start to his career when turning over a 1/5 shot in a Wexford bumper last March. He is a potentially smart recruit to hurdling. Another who commands the utmost respect is Nucky Johnson who progressed from a pleasing debut to win a Fairyhouse bumper in good style earlier this month.
SELECTION: SANDOR CLEGANE
Next best: Three Card Brag
2.18 Corrib Oil Maiden Hurdle 2m 90yds
Path D’Oroux might be able to make a winning start over hurdles. He won a point-to-point last December and followed that with a successful debut on the track where he accounted for a smart-looking field to win a newcomers’ bumper on the final day of the Punchestown Festival. He should make a decent hurdler.
Itswhatunitesus had to settle for fourth behind Facile Vega in a Grade 2 bumper at Leopardstown last February. Previously, he looked a very smart sort when making a winning debut in a Navan bumper in December. He too should do well over hurdles. Baby Zeus is a very useful flat handicapper at his peak and can also be rated a formidable contender.
SELECTION: PATH D’OROUX
Next best: Itswhatunitesus
2.53 SANSERV Rated Novice Chase 2m 2f 54yds
He failed to produce his best in a handicap hurdle here in July but Snake Oil could easily bounce back to form as he tackles fences for the first time. This lightly raced seven-year-old has only made six appearances on the track so far but has shown a nice level of form which includes a bumper success at Listowel and a maiden hurdle triumph at Fairyhouse last April.
He should make a nice chaser and is preferred to another chasing newcomer in Guily Billy who pulled up in a Grade 2 novice hurdle in January on his most recent start having previously won a maiden hurdle at Tramore. This former winning pointer should appreciate the switch to chasing.
SELECTION: SNAKE OIL
Next best: Guily Billy
3.28 W.B. Gavin & Co. Handicap Hurdle 2m 6f
Moving Water is a horse on a roll and it wouldn’t come as any surprise if he were to make it four wins on the spin. The five-year-old returned from a break of three months to land a two-and-a-half-mile handicap hurdle at Gowran late last month. He won nicely that day and should cope with a 10lbs rise in the weights as he should improve from that run and this longer trip will work in his favour.
Merlin Giant looks a formidable rival. He followed up a good run in an amateur riders’ flat maiden (second to Dads Lad) by winning a maiden hurdle over two miles here on the penultimate day of the summer festival.
That form looks good with the second, third and fifth all winning maiden hurdles next time. He will mount a strong challenge for victory provided his stamina holds up. Coventry ran a nice race to chase home Grozni at Punchestown earlier this month and should run well once more.
SELECTION: MOVING WATER
Next best: Merlin Giant
4.03 Colm Quinn BMW Handicap Hurdle (80-95) (Div I) 3m
A speculative vote goes to Bearwithmenow. He will have to improve on his most recent outing at Listowel where he was well beaten by Winning Rascal. However, he is entitled to have improved for his first run in three months and he did win a handicap hurdle over this trip at Wexford much earlier in the season.
Brandy Harbour comes here off a good run behind Money Heist at this track earlier in the month. On that occasion he was beaten just a nose by the very well-backed Money Heist and that effort puts him in with a major chance but he has to prove his stamina at this distance.
SELECTION: BEARWITHMENOW
Next best: Brandy Harbour
4.38 Colm Quinn BMW Handicap Hurdle (80-95) (Div II) 3m
Twoplustwo Equals makes plenty of appeal. She finished a decent third in a maiden hurdle at Tramore in August when the subject of a major gamble and suggested that her turn would soon be coming when beaten just a neck by Winning Rascal in a handicap hurdle at Killarney at the start of this month.
She gets the vote over A Dublin Job who is fitted with blinkers for the first time as he looks to build on a second to Problem Solver at Tipperary at the start of the month.
SELECTION: TWOPLUSTWO EQUALS
Next best: A Dublin Job
5.13 Colm Quinn BMW (C & G) (Pro/Am) INH Flat Race 2m 90yds
This could see Firm Footings build on a promising debut at the Punchestown Festival where he finished third to Lisnagar Fortune. The form of that race hasn’t worked especially well which is something of a concern, but Firm Footings shaped like a nice prospect that day to be beaten just by over eight lengths.
He lacks the advantage of a recent run but might overcome that to deal with the threat posed by Allibaba who chased home Affordale Fury in a bumper at this track earlier in the month.
SELECTION: FIRM FOOTINGS
Next best: Allibaba