4.45 2m. 3f. 180yds. 9 Declared. Louis Fitzgerald Hotel H'dle of €20,000.00 4-y-o plus
1st - €12,000.00 2nd - €4,000.00 3rd - €2,000.00 4th - €1,000.00 5th - €600.00 6th - €400.00
FormscanBy Michael Graham - GRANGECLARE WEST can take advantage of a drop in class. He has questions to answer after unplaced efforts at Naas and Leopardstown, however, they were in Grade 1 races. He looked a horse of considerable promise in winning his bumper by a wide margin at this track and then sauntering home in a maiden hurdle at Navan. Imagine wasn't beaten far into fifth in the Martin Pipe at the Cheltenham Festival. Prior to that, he had three runner-up finishes in-a-row including in a Grade 3 novice hurdle at Navan. He is another horse with a bumper and maiden hurdle in his locker. He is a big player with Danny Gilligan taking 7lb off his back. Tag Man has a chance in receipt of weight from his rivals. The seven-year-old gelding has had the misfortune to run in maiden hurdles won by some very smart sorts. He was placed in two of them and came in fourth in another, and the form is strong. He won a bumper at the Punchestown Festival last year on decent ground.
A hurdle for four years old and upwards which have not won more than one hurdle race and have not finished first, second or third in a Grade 1 or Grade 2 weight-for-age hurdle raceWeights - 4-y-o 10st 12lbs 5-y-o and up 11st 6lbs Mares allowed 7lbsPenalties - Penalty - Winner of a hurdle race 6lb extra