1st - €15,000.00 2nd - €5,000.00 3rd - €2,500.00 4th - €1,250.00 5th - €750.00 6th - €500.00

FormscanBy Shane Redmond - The classy GAUCHER (1) can defy his penalties as he goes back over hurdles for the first time in a year. He scored a win in the two-mile Horse %26 Jockey Hotel Hurdle at Tipperary on his last jumping start, his third Grade 3 success. More recently, he showed up well in a couple of Group 3 races at Leopardstown, behind his own stable companion Ethical Diamond and then Arabian Crown at Irish Champions Festival and is now preferred to El Cairos who hasn't done all that much since his winning turn when long odds-on for a maiden hurdle at Thurles in January. He was a disappointing favourite at the Punchestown Festival but wasn't all that far behind Putapoundinthejar in the Galway Hurdle last time. Samui might want better ground but could yet be next best.

A hurdle for four years old and upwards
Weights - 4-y-o 11st 1lbs 5-y-o and up 11st 2lbs. Mares allowed 7lbs.
Penalties - Penalties (handicaps, Academy Hurdles and 3-y-o Junior N.H. Hurdles excluded) - to count from 4th May, 2025 Winner of two hurdle races 4lb extra Of a Listed or a Grade 3 hurdle race 7lb extra Of a Grade 2 hurdle race 10lb extra Of a Grade 1 hurdle race 12lb extra