December 12 / 14.30 Punchestown

14.30

Soft To Heavy

William Hill Lengthen Your Odds Hurdle

  • Prize money: £7309.73
  • 2m 0f 170y
  • 6 runners
RTV
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William Hill Lengthen Your Odds Hurdle

Runners: 6 runners

Type: Hurdle Turf

Surface: Turf

Weather: Showers

9/4 (Won)

  • Win: £1.30
  • Place: £1.10

Form: /125F/

Last run: 1372 days

W: 11st 12lb

9 yo Gelding

OR:

Form & Verdict
French APQS winner in 2017; won 2m3f Naas maiden just over four years ago before taking second Envoi Allen in 2m4f Grade 1 runner-up at the same venue; was still in the hunt when badly hampered and fell two out in the 2020 Supreme Novices' won by Shishkin.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

1st

2

12th Dec 2023

Soft To Heavy

2m 0f 170y

14:30 Punchestown

Elixir Dainay

11st 12lb

J: Mark Walsh

T: W P Mullins

French APQS winner in 2017; won 2m3f Naas maiden just over four years ago before taking second Envoi Allen in 2m4f Grade 1 runner-up at the same venue; was still in the hunt when badly hampered and fell two out in the 2020 Supreme Novices' won by Shishkin.

9/4

8/1

  • Place: £3.20

Form: 23

Last run: 12 days

W: 10st 10lb

4 yo Filly

OR:

Form & Verdict
Dual Flat winner on quick ground for Andrew Balding; handled soft when second to a Willie Mullins-trained favourite on Irish/hurdling debut in a 2m Galway maiden in September; another solid display when third behind a Mullins favourite at Thurles. can win races over hurdles.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

14th

3

(17)

2nd Sep 2026

Good

2m 0f 0y

17:08 Navan

Whimsy

11st 13lb

J: Miss A B O’Connor

T: Anthony McCann

Useful Flat performer, winning three times and placing on a further nine occasions from 17 turf starts; took third at Gowran in April (1m4f, soft) and went one place better when beaten a neck at Musselburgh next time (2m, good); has often been frustrating, as shown by hurdles record 1-20; second eight times.

12/1

8th

2

1st May 2026

Yielding

2m 0f 45y

19:10 Punchestown

Whimsy

12st 0lb

J: James Smith

T: Anthony McCann

Record of 1-19 over timber; three-time winner on the Flat has placed in two starts in that sphere since falling over hurdles at Leopardstown in March; recent form suggests she's fit and healthy but poor strike rate over hurdles is off-putting.

14/1

Form: 5-31 D

Last run: 16 days

W: 11st 9lb

4 yo Gelding

OR:

Form & Verdict
Fair fifth of 16 in Goffs Defender Bumper at Fairyhouse in April; third behind the well-regarded Butcher Hollow (second in a maiden hurdle at Navan on Saturday) in a Galway bumper in October; made all and stuck to his task well when winning on his hurdling debut at Cork; has the advantage of race fitness over the Mullins pair.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

1st

3

21st Jun 2025

Good

2m 1f 77y

Class 4

15:55 Bangor-on-Dee

Tactical Affair

11st 3lb

J: James Bowen

T: Warren Greatrex

The more his mark has eased this spring and summer the better he's done over fences, culminating in last month's Stratford success (2m1f, good); chance likely rests on whether he's derived sufficient confidence from that experience to defy going back up 10lb.

13/8

1st

1

18th May 2025

Good

2m 0f 213y

Class 5

15:55 Stratford

Tactical Affair

12st 0lb

J: James Bowen

T: Warren Greatrex

0-6 over fences; bounced back from poor performance when keeping on well to snatch never-dangerous second at Worcester (2m, good) 12 days ago but others here have more convincing profiles.

3/1

1st

1

18th May 2025

Good

2m 0f 213y

Class 5

15:55 Stratford

Tactical Affair

12st 0lb

J: James Bowen

T: Warren Greatrex

0-6 over fences; bounced back from poor performance when keeping on well to snatch never-dangerous second at Worcester (2m, good) 12 days ago but others here have more convincing profiles.

3/1

OUR TIP

Form: /2217/

Last run: 592 days

W: 11st 12lb

7 yo Gelding

OR:

Form & Verdict
Useful three-time winner on Flat, Group 3-placed over 1m6f in 2020; made his hurdling debut later that year; frustrating until winning a maiden at Thurles in March 2022; out of the money behind El Fabiolo in a novice event here at the end of that season; absent since a Flat run 18 months ago.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

4th

3

12th Dec 2023

Soft To Heavy

2m 0f 170y

14:30 Punchestown

Micro Manage

11st 12lb

J: Paul Townend

T: W P Mullins

Useful three-time winner on Flat, Group 3-placed over 1m6f in 2020; made his hurdling debut later that year; frustrating until winning a maiden at Thurles in March 2022; out of the money behind El Fabiolo in a novice event here at the end of that season; absent since a Flat run 18 months ago.

13/8

Form: 140P-8 D

Last run: 106 days

W: 11st 12lb

4 yo Gelding

OR: 113

Form & Verdict
Exposed maiden on the Flat; found handicaps too demanding after winning a maiden hurdle at Cork in January; tough task at these weights
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

8th

11

(9)

30th Oct 2024

Standard

1m 4f 0y

17:15 Dundalk (AW)

Action Motion

8st 10lb

J: J M Sheridan

T: Denis Gerard Hogan

Maiden hurdle winner early in 2023; satisfactory effort when close up fourth of 13 at Thurles last time; ran in the 4.20 at Galway on Monday

8/1

8th

11

(9)

30th Oct 2024

Standard

1m 4f 0y

17:15 Dundalk (AW)

Action Motion

8st 10lb

J: J M Sheridan

T: Denis Gerard Hogan

Maiden hurdle winner early in 2023; satisfactory effort when close up fourth of 13 at Thurles last time; ran in the 4.20 at Galway on Monday

8/1

Form: 485343

Last run: 14 days

W: 11st 5lb

6 yo Mare

OR: 90

Form & Verdict
Maiden winner at Tramore last season over a longer trip on good ground; modest overall form, though she ran well in her grade when third in a recent handicap at Tramore.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

12th

14

28th Aug 2026

Good

2m 4f 100y

17:25 Wexford

Cruisin Susan

10st 0lb

J: Mr J P Berry

T: J A Berry

Course winner over 3m; the last of three hurdle wins came in 2024; a good run over 3m last month but was poor since, both back here; a squeak if back in form.

14/1

8th

14

7th Aug 2026

Good

3m 0f 0y

18:26 Wexford

Cruisin Susan

10st 0lb

J: Mr J P Berry

T: J A Berry

Won back-to-back handicaps in 2024, the first of them was this race off 10lb higher (good) and at Tramore off 17lb higher (2m5f, good to yielding); lost her way badly following that but there were positive signs in her 3l third of 14 over C&D last time, staying on strongly; well handicapped if backing it up.

7/1

3rd

14

23rd Jul 2026

Good

3m 0f 0y

18:20 Wexford

Cruisin Susan

10st 0lb

J: Mr J P Berry

T: J A Berry

Has lost way since a purple patch in 2024; didn't build on okay seasonal return at Clonmel when tailed off at Tramore last time.

25/1

+o+e Accumulators

Payout
Exacta €16.40
Straight Forecast €13.83
Trifecta €24.70

Selections

RP RATINGS (IRE):

Elixir D'ainay

POSTDATA:

Tactical Affair

TOPSPEED:

Whimsy

SPOTLIGHT:

Micro Manage

The Irish Sun:

Elixir D'ainay