October 11 / 14.55 Punchestown

14.55

Good

Paddy Power Feel Like A Favourite Hurdle

  • Prize money: £8676.47
  • 2m 2f 0y
  • 5 runners
RTV
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Paddy Power Feel Like A Favourite Hurdle

Runners: 5 runners

Type: Hurdle Turf

Surface: Turf

Weather: Cloudy

6/4 (Won)

  • Win: £2.20
  • Place: £1.10

Form: 57-211 C

Last run: 36 days

W: 11st 12lb

10 yo Gelding

OR: 149

Form & Verdict
Decent type was third in 2020 Champion Hurdle; returned to hurdling last season after not really taking to chasing and has generally been in good form; won conditions events at Kilbeggan and Galway last twice and a repeat of those runs will make him a big player.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

0

1

18th Aug 2023

Good

2m 5f 120y

16:25 Tramore

Darver Star

11st 10lb

J: Keith Donoghue

T: Gavin Cromwell

Bounced back to form when runner-up at Wexford in March but struggled twice since; not easy to predict and probably needs a career best chase effort to land this off joint-topweight.

6/1

5th

1

7th Jul 2023

Good

2m 3f 170y

19:23 Wexford

Darver Star

11st 12lb

J: Keith Donoghue

T: Gavin Cromwell

prominent, soon raced in second, pushed along and weakened quickly before 2 out

7/2

1

11th Jun 2023

Good

2m 5f 0y

14:50 Punchestown

Darver Star

11st 13lb

J: Patrick M O’Brien

T: Gavin Cromwell

10-time winner, just one over fences and has been hit and miss in this sphere; decent second in a handicap chase at Wexford followed by a sub-standard effort in a 3m handicap at the festival here; best horse in the race and has a chance but just that bit vulnerable these days.

5/1

50/1

  • Place: £8.20

Form: 00-164 D

Last run: 17 days

W: 11st 8lb

5 yo Gelding

OR: 119

Form & Verdict
Won a Downpatrick maiden hurdle in July and a decent fourth in a Listowel novice last time; however, is rated just 119 and has loads to find with all these rivals.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

9th

1

29th May 2026

Good

1m 7f 110y

17:55 Tramore

Typical Thomas

11st 12lb

J: Conor Smithers

T: James Andrew Fahey

Two-time chase winner but losing run stretches back to October 2023; off since okay run on the Flat at Listowel last September; poor record when fresh; others preferred.

16/1

11

26th Sep 2025

Yielding

1m 6f 0y

17:25 Listowel

Typical Thomas

11st 0lb

J: Miss H Heffernan

T: James Andrew Fahey

Hurdles rating of 113 leaves him with a lot to find in this company; tailed off in a Thurles conditions hurdle in March and not much better in two most recent handicap chase starts; exceedingly unlikely.

40/1

7

16th Jun 2025

Good To Yielding

2m 4f 51y

19:48 Kilbeggan

Typical Thomas

10st 4lb

J: Peter Smithers

T: James Andrew Fahey

Did well to win 2m2f Listed handicap chase at Cork off 119 in 2023 but hasn't run to that level since, most recently when too keen in first-time cheekpieces at Tipperary last month; handicapper quite slow to relent.

20/1

OUR TIP

Form: 413116 D

Last run: 10 days

W: 11st 8lb

7 yo Gelding

OR: 133

Form & Verdict
Versatile sort has 11 wins under all rules, including four over hurdles; two wins over fences recently but was poor last time after a bad mistake; could go well from the front but has a bit to find with Darver Star and Abacadabras.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

8th

7

27th Aug 2025

Good

2m 4f 110y

16:53 Bellewstown

Dollar Value

10st 8lb

J: Darragh O’Keeffe

T: T G McCourt

Prolific winner under both codes, last two hurdle wins were in claimers at Roscommon and Sligo last summer; fourth to Ahead Of The Posse when attempting repeat Roscommon win on latest but enjoys a big turn around in the weights with that rival here so has to be considered a major player.

11/4

4th

6

7th Jul 2025

Good

2m 4f 125y

16:30 Roscommon

Dollar Value

11st 4lb

J: Darragh O’Keeffe

T: T G McCourt

Comfortable winner of this race 12 months ago (on good ground) and ran okay in a handicap 22 days ago when returning from a lengthy break; likely to go well.

4/1

Form: 24PP0-

Last run: 166 days

W: 11st 8lb

5 yo Gelding

OR: 127

Form & Verdict
Useful sort for Willie Mullins, winning on the Flat and over hurdles, although has been poor on last number of runs in this sphere; has a fair bit to find with the two principals anyway on yard debut.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

14th

21

26th Oct 2024

Good

3m 0f 0y

16:45 Galway

Dark Voyager

11st 13lb

T: Aidan Melia

didn't always jump with fluency, midfield, lost position when pushed along after 9th

9th

9

(2)

23rd Oct 2024

Yielding

1m 6f 0y

16:50 Navan

Dark Voyager

9st 10lb

J: Dylan Browne McMonagle

T: Aidan Melia

held up in rear

16/1

8th

16

4th Oct 2024

Good

2m 4f 40y

16:45 Gowran Park

Dark Voyager

11st 0lb

J: Kevin Sexton

T: Aidan Melia

Returned to some sort of form on her debut for this trainer when a solid fourth in a 2m2f handicap hurdle at Downpatrick last month; more needed but well-handicapped if coming back to form.

14/1

Form: 4/35-3 C

Last run: 9 days

W: 11st 2lb

8 yo Gelding

OR: 152

Form & Verdict
Three-time Grade 1-winning hurdler only ran twice last season but was well below his best on last of those runs over 3m at Leopardstown; just a satisfactory return at Tipperary last time but should improve plenty from it; best-in at these weights if even close to peak form.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

5

11th Oct 2022

Good

2m 2f 0y

14:55 Punchestown

Abacadabras

11st 2lb

J: Jack Kennedy

T: Gordon Elliott

midfield, blundered and pecked on landing 5th, lost third and mistake 3 out, soon eased and pulled up, finished lame (jockey said gelding sustained an injury and was pulled up)

4/6

3rd

1

2nd Oct 2022

Good To Yielding

2m 0f 0y

15:35 Tipperary

Abacadabras

12st 0lb

J: Davy Russell

T: Gordon Elliott

soon went modest third, headway before 2 out, disputing second 2 out, ridden when hung left and outpaced approaching last, not fluent last, no extra run-in

11/4

+o+e Accumulators

Payout
Exacta €63.90
Straight Forecast €33.04
Trifecta €214.90

Selections

SPOTLIGHT:

Abacadabras

POSTDATA:

Darver Star

RP Ratings (IRE):

Abacadabras

TOPSPEED:

Abacadabras

The Irish Sun:

Darver Star