Horse with interesting form making handicap debut at Clonmel should be monitored

Now we are coming near the end of the season, it’s a good time to keep an eye on horses making their handicap debuts over hurdles. It’s a lot easier to check back on some of the form lines over the course of the season, and one horse in particular tomorrow catches the eye. Please keep note that we are not tipping this horse. We are making an observation that there’s potential for this horse to shorten in the market given his profile. Read on for more information below.

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6.48 Clonmel

Trainer Terence O’Brien has a very good record at Clonmel, and although he wouldn’t have one of the bigger yards in Ireland, he’s a shrewd operator and does very well with what he has. He runs King Of Cong in the extended 2m2f handicap hurdle for horses rated 80-95, and this horse has some interesting form.

On debut, he wasn’t given a hard time when staying on from rear into sixth behind Willie Mullins’ Jimmy Du Seuil here at this track. He got a couple of cracks after the third from home, but it was a spin out for experience. He was beaten 32 lengths but the winner finished second to Ballyburn at the Cheltenham Festival so it looks like very solid form.

Answering, who finished second on the day, has also won a maiden hurdle since. King Of Cong was behind the highly regarded Mistergif at Limerick in January and again ran an OK race when seventh in another Clonmel maiden hurdle when last seen, but handicaps was always going to be the plan for this lad.

An opening mark of 93 could potentially be very lenient if you take that Jimmy Du Seuil form at face value, and JP Shinnick takes a further 5lb off in the saddle. He is one to monitor.

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