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Formscan - COSMIC CONNECTION won three of his four starts over timber last term, culminating with a convincing victory over 2m at Sandown in April. Chris Gordon will likely have him primed for action and this extra test of stamina is expected to bring further improvement from the point-to-point winner. Lord Byron should be sharper for last month's Flat spin and a repeat of his narrow defeat in a Grade 1 at the Punchestown Festival could see him in the mix. Killarney maiden hurdle winner North Shore is worth noting debuting for Dan Skelton's yard.
| NH Statistics | Runs | Wins | Places | €Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | 7 | 3 | 1 | 7.25 |
23rd Sep 26 Perth(2m 47yds Hurdle, Good (Good to Soft in places)) 11/4 11-2 Fern O Brien (5) 2nd of 10 runners, 1.25L behind Moon Reign
16th May 26 Uttoxeter(2m 3f 207yds Hurdle, Good) 11/4 10-12 Fern O Brien (5) 1st of 8 runners, by 2L and 11L from Manalishi and Final Surprise
11th Apr 26 Aintree(2m 209yds Bumper, Good to Soft) Rated 121 33/1 11-4 J J Burke 11th of 20 runners, 47.25L behind Forthfactor
Getaway (GER)-Little Blue Hero(Milan)
(167)
c1
(Mr D S Dennis)
Rated 138
| NH Statistics | Runs | Wins | Places | €Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | 4 | 3 | 1 | 19.75 |
| P2P | 2 | 1 | 0 |
25th Apr 26 Sandown(1m 7f 216yds Hcap Hurdle, Good (Good to Firm in places)) Rated 129 6/1 12-0 Sam Twiston-Davies 1st of 15 runners, by 3.25L and 2.25L from Race To Base and Bespoke Tailor
11th Apr 26 Chepstow(2m 16yds Hcap Hurdle, Good to Soft (Good in places)) Rated 123 11/4 11-12 B Carver 1st of 9 runners, by 1.5L and 9.5L from The Kemble Brewery and Doctors Hill
2nd Apr 26 Chepstow(2m 16yds Hurdle, Good to Soft-Good in places) 9/4 11-9 Harry Cobden 2nd of 11 runners, 7L behind Hurricane Pat
Diamond Boy (FR)-Breaffy House Lady(Shantou)
(23)
d1
(Mr Simon Smode)
Rated 120
| NH Statistics | Runs | Wins | Places | €Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | 5 | 2 | 2 | -0.42 |
| P2P | 2 | 1 | 0 |
16th Sep 26 Kelso(2m 4f 189yds Hurdle, Good to Firm (Good in places)) Rated 114 7/4 11-7 S Bowen 1st of 2 runners, by 7L and from Hoe Joly Smoke and
31st Aug 26 Cartmel(2m 6f 31yds Hcap Hurdle, Good to Soft (Soft in places)) Rated 115 6/4Fav 12-0 S Bowen 5th of 8 runners, 60L behind Rauzan
24th May 26 Fontwell(2m 3f 29yds Hurdle, Good (Good to Soft in places)) Rated 110 5/6Fav 11-3 Harry Cobden 1st of 8 runners, by 8L and 3.25L from Western George and Flash Man
Raven's Pass (USA)-Time Passes(Dalakhani)
hd8(8)
(Cool Out Again Syndicate)
Rated 120
| NH Statistics | Runs | Wins | Places | €Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IRE | 16 | 2 | 9 | -5.00 |
1st Oct 26 Clonmel(2m 6f 170yds Hcap Hurdle, Good) Rated 113 7/2 11-6 Donagh Meyler 1st of 6 runners, by 2.5L and 4.5L from Kashchei and St Lawrence s Well
19th Sep 26 Navan(1m 7f 165yds Hcap Hurdle, Good, Good to Yielding in places - changed to Good before R4) Rated 113 4/1 11-0 Alan O Sullivan (5) 4th of 13 runners, 9.75L behind Bells Grove
4th Sep 26 Kilbeggan(2m 26yds Hcap Hurdle, Good - Yielding) Rated 110 3/1 11-0 Donagh Meyler 2nd of 9 runners, 0.5L behind My Trump Card
Quotes on Hopeful Hero (IRE)
He’s always been a nice horse, but it took him a while to mature,. Even when he hit the front there, he lost his concentration a bit jumping. He can jump very well, but he fluffed the last two. He’s a horse with a lot of ability, it was just about getting his mind right and getting him going. It’s taken a long time. Darren and John at home have done a great job with him, because he started off being a very free horse. There are a wonderful bunch of lads ((Cool Out Again Syndicate) in him and I’m delighted for them. He’ll jump fences and he’s a nice horse. He wants good ground but he’ll go on loose, soft, ground but not on heavy ground. He has too much speed for heavy ground.
After Hopeful Hero (IRE) finished 1st at Clonmel on Thu, 1st Oct 2026 2m 6f Hcap Hurdle Good
Nirvana Du Berlais (FR)-A Montmartre(Montmartre)
hd3(182)
(Browne & Coffey Families)
Rated 123
| NH Statistics | Runs | Wins | Places | €Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IRE | 3 | 1 | 2 | -1.00 |
| P2P | 1 | 0 | 0 |
10th Apr 26 Wexford(2m 4f Maiden Hurdle, Good to Yielding. Hurdle course changed to Yielding after Race 3.) 1/1Fav 11-7 E Staples (5) 1st of 12 runners, by 3L and 49L from Captains Speech and Tinto De Verano
28th Dec 25 Leopardstown(2m 4f 150yds Maiden Hurdle, Chase - Yielding Hurdle - Good To Yielding) 16/1 11-7 S W Flanagan 2nd of 15 runners, 4.25L behind Lazare De Star
27th Oct 25 Wexford(2m 100yds Maiden Hurdle, Hurdle & Bumper - Yielding....Chase - Good to Yielding) 13/2 10-13 S W Flanagan 3rd of 14 runners, 2.5L and 2.5L behind Sageborough and Luker s Tipple
Jack Hobbs (GB)-Two Smokin Barrels(Kayf Tara)
(14)
(Mr Bob Moore)
Rated 124
| NH Statistics | Runs | Wins | Places | €Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | 8 | 2 | 4 | 0.41 |
25th Sep 26 Worcester(2m 4f Hcap Hurdle, Good) Rated 116 11/2 11-6 Charlie Hammond 1st of 15 runners, by 4.5L and 5.5L from Media Mogul and Oneinthewell
10th Sep 26 Worcester(2m Maiden Hurdle, Good) Rated 116 10/11Fav 11-4 Charlie Hammond 1st of 12 runners, by 5L and 16L from Sytadel and Emerald Tir
26th Dec 25 Kempton(2m Maiden Hurdle, Good (Good to Soft in places)) Rated 116 7/2 11-4 Ben Jones 9th of 11 runners, 64L behind Klub De Reve
Planteur (IRE)-Free Flying(Authorized)
(174)
(Mrs Kate Kenyon)
Rated 124
| NH Statistics | Runs | Wins | Places | €Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | 9 | 0 | 6 | -9.00 |
18th Apr 26 Ayr(2m 5f 91yds Hurdle, Heavy (Soft in places)) Rated 124 5/1 11-5 Sean Houlihan 3rd of 8 runners, 5.5L and 6.5L behind Apache Tribe and Stride On
28th Feb 26 Kelso(2m 2f 25yds Hurdle, Good to Soft-Soft in places on Chase course) Rated 122 33/1 11-5 Sean Houlihan 3rd of 10 runners, 6.5L and 5.5L behind Montemares and Kosac D oudairies
23rd Jan 26 Doncaster(2m 3f 88yds Maiden Hurdle, Soft) Rated 123 5/2 11-10 B Hughes 2nd of 13 runners, 2.75L behind Rathkenny
In the last 3 years West Hill Verde (FR) has met
| Horse | No. Of times | |
| Lord Byron (IRE) | 1 | |
| 28th Feb 2026 Kelso(2m 2f 25yds, Hurdle, Good to Soft-Soft in places on Chase course) West Hill Verde (FR) 3rd (33/1 11-5 Rated 122) Sean Houlihan 5.50L in front of Lord Byron (IRE) 4th (9/1 10-7 Rated 125) Danny McMenamin (10 ran) | ||
 | ||
| NH Statistics | Runs | Wins | Places | €Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IRE | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1.00 |
| UK | 5 | 0 | 1 | -5.00 |
9th Sep 26 Carlisle(1m 3f 39yds Flat Maiden, Good (Good to Soft in places)) 12/1 1 T Eaves 6th of 12 runners, 12.5L behind Harper Violet
1st May 26 Punchestown(2m 4f 140yds Hurdle, Yielding) Rated 141 7/1 11-4 Harry Cobden 2nd of 8 runners, hd behind King Rasko Grey
11th Apr 26 Aintree(2m 4f Hurdle, Good to Soft) Rated 140 28/1 10-11 Harry Cobden 4th of 12 runners, 6.56L behind Bossman Jack
In the last 3 years Lord Byron (IRE) has met
| Horse | No. Of times | |
| West Hill Verde (FR) | 1 | |
| 28th Feb 2026 Kelso(2m 2f 25yds, Hurdle, Good to Soft-Soft in places on Chase course) West Hill Verde (FR) 3rd (33/1 11-5 Rated 122) Sean Houlihan 5.50L in front of Lord Byron (IRE) 4th (9/1 10-7 Rated 125) Danny McMenamin (10 ran) | ||
| ||
| North Shore (FR) | 1 | |
| 13th Mar 2026 Cheltenham(2m 179yds, Hurdle, Good to Soft (Soft in places)) Lord Byron (IRE) 5th (80/1 11-2 Rated 123) Ben Jones 18.50L in front of North Shore (FR) 12th (16/1 11-2) K M Donoghue (20 ran) | ||
| ||
The Grey Gatsby (IRE)-Clairefougere(High Chaparral)
(153)
(Owen Daley & Richard Fleming)
Rated 135
| NH Statistics | Runs | Wins | Places | €Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IRE | 4 | 1 | 1 | -2.33 |
| UK | 1 | 0 | 0 | -1.00 |
9th May 26 Killarney(2m 1f Maiden Hurdle, Good to Yielding, Good in places) Rated 133 4/6Fav 11-7 K M Donoghue 1st of 14 runners, by 1.5L and 19L from Portnahapple and Whats New
6th Apr 26 Fairyhouse(2m Hurdle, Yielding to Soft) Rated 133 9/1 11-0 K M Donoghue fell(9 ran) in race won by Proactif
13th Mar 26 Cheltenham(2m 179yds Hurdle, Good to Soft (Soft in places)) 16/1 11-2 K M Donoghue 12th of 20 runners, 21.94L behind Apolon De Charnie
In the last 3 years North Shore (FR) has met
| Horse | No. Of times | |
| Lord Byron (IRE) | 1 | |
| 13th Mar 2026 Cheltenham(2m 179yds, Hurdle, Good to Soft (Soft in places)) Lord Byron (IRE) 5th (80/1 11-2 Rated 123) Ben Jones 18.50L in front of North Shore (FR) 12th (16/1 11-2) K M Donoghue (20 ran) | ||
| ||
Walzertakt (GER)-Lagunaka(Diamond Boy)
(49)
d1
(Dr S P Fitzgerald)
Rated 119
| NH Statistics | Runs | Wins | Places | €Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IRE | 4 | 3 | 1 | 5.31 |
21st Aug 26 Kilbeggan(2m 2f 200yds Hurdle, Good, good to yielding in places (Good to Yielding after R4)) Rated 118 10/3 11-5 D J O Keeffe 1st of 9 runners, by 1.5L and 2L from Mino Des Mottes and Rosie s Wings
28th May 26 Limerick(2m 3f 200yds Maiden Hurdle, Yielding; changed to Soft after Race 2) 8/11Fav 11-7 D J O Keeffe 1st of 15 runners, by 6.5L and 12L from Chisel Hill and Aruntothequeen
10th May 26 Cork(2m 3f 50yds Maiden Hurdle, Good, good to yielding in places) 6/1 11-7 M P O Connor 3rd of 15 runners, hd and 1.5L behind Local News and Divaboriva
Quotes on La Cote Fleurie (FR)
John gave her a super ride — he’s riding out of his skin. I’m delighted for the Fitzgeralds, and she looks like another nice mare. She toughed it out and stayed on well up the straight. She had been working well. She did a nice piece of work in Monksgrange a couple of weeks ago so we hoped she might run well.
After La Cote Fleurie (FR) finished 1st at Tipperary on Sun, 5th Oct 2025 2m Bumper Yielding to Soft
Bathyrhon (GER)-Carmona(Sleeping Car)
bl1(43)
(Awr Consultancy Ltd & The Folly Partne)
Rated 111
| NH Statistics | Runs | Wins | Places | €Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | 26 | 7 | 11 | -7.53 |
27th Aug 26 Newton Abbot(2m 75yds Hcap Chase, Good to Firm (Good in places)) Rated 125 13/2 11-10 G Sheehan 2nd of 4 runners, 11L behind Breaking Cover
19th Jul 26 Stratford(2m 70yds Hurdle, Good to Firm) Rated 115 6/5 10-13 G Sheehan 2nd of 4 runners, 7L behind Edelak
13th Jun 26 Hexham(2m 48yds Hurdle, Good) Rated 115 1/3Fav 10-9 G Sheehan 1st of 9 runners, by 2L and 12L from Nobotheratall and Colinski
Symbols Explained
ts2 Tongue Strap vs2 Visor hd2 Hood es2 Eye Shield ec2 Eye Cover cp2 Cheekpiece bl2 Blinkers tt2 Tongue Tie cd2 Course and Distance Winner c2 Course Winner d2 Distance Winner bf Beaten Favourite on Last Run
The superscript number on headgear bl2 indicates number of times worn. A plus bl+ indicates more than 10 times where as red background bl1indicates first time.
