October 31 / 16.15 Wexford

16.15

Soft

M.W. Hickey Memorial Chase (Listed Race)

  • Prize money: £12394.96
  • 2m 7f 0y
  • 5 runners
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M.W. Hickey Memorial Chase (Listed Race)

Runners: 5 runners

Type: Chase Turf

Surface: Turf

Weather: Rain

9/4 (Won)

  • Win: £3.40

Form: P291-P

Last run: 16 days

W: 11st 0lb

7 yo Gelding

OR: 158

Form & Verdict
Had only a Galway beginners' victory to his name in this sphere before landing 50-1 success in the Grand National in April; pulled up early in Grade 3 chase at Auteuil on his return after making a mistake at the second and hard to know what shape he's in at the moment with a return to Aintree next year probably the main objective; interesting that Bowen makes the journey over.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

6

28th Dec 2024

Good To Yielding

2m 7f 80y

14:00 Leopardstown

Noble Yeats

11st 10lb

J: Donagh Meyler

T: Emmet Mullins

midfield early, pressed leaders after 4th, lost position and dropped to rear when pushed along briefly after 6th, dropped to last and pushed along after 7th, reminders and struggling after 8th

13/2

6

28th Dec 2024

Good To Yielding

2m 7f 80y

14:00 Leopardstown

Noble Yeats

11st 10lb

J: Donagh Meyler

T: Emmet Mullins

midfield early, pressed leaders after 4th, lost position and dropped to rear when pushed along briefly after 6th, dropped to last and pushed along after 7th, reminders and struggling after 8th

13/2

19th

1

13th Apr 2024

Heavy

4m 2f 74y

Class 1

16:00 Aintree

Noble Yeats

11st 12lb

J: Harry Cobden

T: Emmet Mullins

2022 Grand National winner and fourth in it (again on good to soft) last year when he was hard work from out the back and never got near the leaders; hurdling on last three starts, winning a Grade 2 but coming up well short when the cheekpieces (which had served him well hitherto) were restored at Cheltenham one month ago; just 1lb lower than last year but his strength of stamina will presumably be well served by a slog in the mud.

20/1

Form: 11UP57 C

Last run: 8 days

W: 10st 7lb

5 yo Mare

OR: 143

Form & Verdict
Progressive mare over hurdles and fences in spring/summer including decisive win in valuable Kilbeggan handicap chase; confidence should have been restored by getting around last twice and not out of this at the weights but unlikely to appreciate testing ground.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

10th

7

20th Oct 2024

Good

3m 0f 0y

15:50 Limerick

Hurricane Georgie

11st 2lb

J: Jordan Gainford

T: Gordon Elliott

4-28 over fences; respectable seventh in the Galway Plate and reappeared four days later to win a conditions event at the same venue, beating the 14lb-conceding Easy Game with Janidil third; did not jump well in Kerry National.

14/1

16

25th Sep 2024

Good

2m 7f 180y

16:20 Listowel

Hurricane Georgie

10st 10lb

J: Kevin Sexton

T: Gordon Elliott

Is 4-27 over fences, including Midlands National at Kilbeggan in 2022; respectable seventh in the Galway Plate and reappeared four days later to win a conditions event at the same venue; first-time with cheekpieces; lowest-rated of stable's five runners.

25/1

Form: 22FF-2

Last run: 19 days

W: 11st 0lb

8 yo Gelding

OR: 152

Form & Verdict
Remarkable that he's only won once from 14 starts over fences, that when landing last season's Troytown; runner-up in Leopardstown Grade 1 novice and National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham after that victory before early falls in Grand National and the Irish equivalent; good return when second to stablemate Galvin at Punchestown and Kennedy's choice over stablemate Frontal Assault.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

7th

8

6th Apr 2026

Good To Yielding

2m 4f 0y

16:10 Cork

Run Wild Fred

12st 0lb

J: Mr C J Shine

T: Raymond Hurley

Troytown winner in 2021 and second in the National Hunt Chase later that season; has not been a force in recent seasons; pulled up in a point in January; risky at this stage.

14/1

7

3rd May 2025

Yielding

3m 7f 68y

15:05 Punchestown

Run Wild Fred

11st 1lb

J: Conor Clarke

T: Raymond Hurley

midfield, not fluent 7th

20/1

7

3rd May 2025

Yielding

3m 7f 68y

15:05 Punchestown

Run Wild Fred

11st 1lb

J: Conor Clarke

T: Raymond Hurley

midfield, not fluent 7th

20/1

Form: P7P065

Last run: 11 days

W: 10st 2lb

9 yo Mare

OR: 89

Form & Verdict
No chance in this company and looking for cheap black-type if mishaps befall some of the main protagonists.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

15

4th Jul 2023

Good To Yielding

2m 7f 14y

15:05 Tipperary

Esthers Marvel

10st 5lb

J: Mike O’Connor

T: David Kenneth Budds

Goes well fresh and again shaped nicely on reappearance over hurdles at Kilbeggan; 6lb higher mark as a chaser and overall record is not the strongest (1-10), although has a nice pull with King Ferdinand for a 9.75l defeat last October, so far from ignored.

16/1

5th

14

19th Jun 2023

Good

3m 0f 100y

17:43 Kilbeggan

Esthers Marvel

10st 13lb

J: Mark McDonagh

T: David Kenneth Budds

Is 1-28 over hurdles; hit the frame in a couple of starts this winter but lost her way subsequently; can go well fresh so not ruled out despite 130-day absence.

50/1

11th

16

19th Feb 2023

Yielding To Soft

2m 0f 0y

16:55 Punchestown

Esthers Marvel

11st 12lb

J: Tessa Condon

T: David Kenneth Budds

Modest handicap hurdler-chaser and an unlikely scorer here.

66/1

OUR TIP

Form: 42P2-1 D

Last run: 27 days

W: 10st 9lb

7 yo Gelding

OR: 142

Form & Verdict
Stays all day and will handle the ground; fine second in last season's Irish Grand National and gained first chase win on reappearance when landing five-runner conditions event over this sort of trip at Galway; not a whole pile to find at the weights and has plenty of upside.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

10

15th Jan 2026

Good To Soft

2m 7f 171y

Class 5

15:27 Ludlow

Frontal Assault

11st 12lb

J: Mr Henry Bailey

T: Fred Timmis

Second in each of his last four point starts, only one of them as high as open class; among the non-finishers with Blagthebookies at Cheltenham in May when last seen in this sphere; overlooked.

25/1

12

2nd May 2025

Good

4m 0f 97y

Class 4

19:30 Cheltenham

Frontal Assault

11st 12lb

J: Mr Henry Bailey

T: Miss P Wynne

Formerly very useful for Gordon Elliott but made low-key stable/hunter chase debut in February and his three subsequent pointing seconds all came in small fields; swaps visor for refitted blinkers today.

9/1

12

2nd May 2025

Good

4m 0f 97y

Class 4

19:30 Cheltenham

Frontal Assault

11st 12lb

J: Mr Henry Bailey

T: Miss P Wynne

Formerly very useful for Gordon Elliott but made low-key stable/hunter chase debut in February and his three subsequent pointing seconds all came in small fields; swaps visor for refitted blinkers today.

9/1

Non-runners

Frontal Assault

+o+e Accumulators

Payout
Exacta €7.90
Straight Forecast €10.72
Trifecta €10.20

Selections

POSTDATA:

Run Wild Fred

RP Ratings (IRE):

Noble Yeats

SPOTLIGHT:

Frontal Assault

The Irish Sun:

Run Wild Fred

TOPSPEED:

Noble Yeats