1st - €15,930.00 2nd - €5,400.00 3rd - €2,700.00 4th - €1,350.00 5th - €810.00 6th - €540.00 Fine

FormscanBy Tom Weekes - RAZOUL might be progressive enough to follow up some excellent recent form and win today. He has progressed thoroughly since the summer, won the Lartigue Hurdle at Listowel in September before running another fine race when second in a Grade 3 novice hurdle at Tipperary recently. His rating has now risen to 132 and he must give away weight as a 4yo, but encouragingly he did show form on heavy ground on debut in October 2017, suggesting he might be ok with today's testing ground. Top Moon was 2.75L behind the selection at Listowel and while he is 6lbs better off today, his only previous run on testing ground at Limerick last March was disappointing and he comes here with that worry. Cloudy Morning has a hurdles rating 18lbs below his chase mark and while he is now 11, his form continues to hold and he ran well at Ballinrobe latest. He won his latest handicap hurdle start but a concern today is dropping back to this trip as his best form in recent years has been over more staying trips. Westerner Point (who has 11 wins from 33 runs) is himself rated 30lbs higher over fences than hurdles and while he had been in excellent form again last season, he make shis seasonal reappearance today and has been beaten from similar ratings over hurdles on his %3Bast four starts over the smaller obstacles. De Mazzaro has a low weight and comes here fit and well with obvious claims but is nonetheless still without a win in 27 starts. Jon Ess is a capable type but might ideally prefer a sounder surface.%0A

An extended handicap hurdle for four years old and upwards (140 = 11st 10lbs)
Penalties - Winner of a hurdle race after calculation of the handicap shall carry 5lb extra for each hurdle race won.