19:10 Down Royal

Friday 31 August 2018

All16:3517:1017:4018:1018:4019:1019:40

Kerry Foods Handicap Hurdle (80-109)

Off time: 19:11 | Winning time: 5m 11.1s

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Selected odds by:

Steamboat Bill^p²⁶

Age: 7| Weight: 11-12| J: D E Mullins| T: H Smyth| OR: 109| C

20/1

Course winner who is now running 11lb lower than his last winning mark. Vast improvement needed to figure here.

Form: U0P-400

The Major General^b,t⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: M P Walsh| T: J P O'Brien| OR: 109

11/2

Seven race maiden hurdler who is never disgraced in his races but manages to bump in to some better handicapped sorts.

Form: 8855-55

Coolfighter^p¹⁴

Age: 10| Weight: 11-11| J: J P O'Sullivan⁽⁷⁾| T: N Dooly| OR: 108

11/1

Showed there was still plenty of spark in the popular veteran when finishing third of 15 beaten 3L in a 2m5f handicap hurdle at Tramore earlier this month. Place claims with conditions to suit.

Form: 913803

Shake The Bucket²⁵

Age: 11| Weight: 11-11| J: N P Madden| T: N Madden| OR: 108| C

20/1

Genuine and tough sort over both hurdles and the larger obstacles. Last hurdle win came at the 2016 Galway festival off a 2lb lower mark. Best watched.

Form: 28-0240

Whatever It Takes^t,v²⁴

Age: 10| Weight: 11-10| J: N Bashford⁽⁷⁾| T: N Madden| OR: 107

25/1

Winner of a Kilbeggan handicap hurdle 12-months ago off a 7lb lower mark. Others look more convincing at this level.

Form: 917-P20

Derby De Thaix^b1⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-9| J: E T Daly⁽⁷⁾| T: J P O'Brien| OR: 106

16/1

Solid and consistent in a number of spins over hurdles since May without getting his head in front. Can go well but may find one or two a little better handicapped.

Form: P-2P320

Fred The Foot^t²⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 11-8| J: M J Bolger| T: J C McConnell| OR: 105| BF

11/2

Plenty of improvement in his last tow hurdle starts including a career best when fourth of 24 beaten a little over 4L in a Cork handicap hurdle earlier this month. Vulnerable in this company.

Form: 7/1755-4

Ronald Pump^t¹⁰⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 11-8| J: A E Lynch| T: M J Smith| OR: 105

12/1

Solid form in a couple of weaker contests when last seen in May but remains a six-race maiden hurdler. May find it tough going here.

Form: 374R-44

Balinaboola Steel^b²⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 11-7| J: Rachael Blackmore| T: G J Power| OR: 104

7/1

Encouraging form in a couple of starts since the end of July including a career best runs at Wexford and Cork earlier this month. Boasts strong place claims.

Form: 50F532

King's War²⁴

Age: 9| Weight: 11-7| J: M F Mooney| T: P Mooney| OR: 104

22/1

14-race maiden hurdler who appears to have had plenty of chances at getting off the mark. Will need to raise overall performance.

Form: 432-556

Silken Thomas^b²⁶

Age: 7| Weight: 11-7| J: S A Shortall⁽³⁾| T: R Hennessy| OR: 104| C

40/1

May have needed the run in his first start in over a year when tailed off at the Galway festival earlier in the month. Likely to struggle here.

Form: 41687-0

Black Label^b²⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 11-6| J: D J Mullins| T: A McGuinness| OR: 103

25/1

Three from 23 over hurdles and is racing 6lb higher than last winning mark when winning a 2m4f Limerick contest in July. Pulled up latest and plenty to prove here.

Form: 0400-1P

Ourmanmassini^t¹⁵

Age: 10| Weight: 11-5| J: J W Kennedy| T: G Elliott| OR: 102

8/1

Has been mixing hurdles and a number of challenges over the larger obstacles this season without success but going close on more than one occasion. Without a win in 25 starts over timber.

Form: 2P-5332

Persian Wind^t²⁴

Age: 8| Weight: 11-5| J: L P Dempsey| T: J P Dempsey| OR: 102

16/1

Solid form over hurdles without getting his head in front over the summer finishing runner-up on no less than three occasions and could do with a change of luck soon.

Form: 472226

Le Braye^t⁴²

Age: 6| Weight: 11-2| J: G N Fox| T: G P Cromwell| OR: 99

20/1

Ran well to finish third of 13 beaten 2L in a Bellewstown handicap hurdle before a heavy defeat on good ground at Kilbeggan last month. Plenty more needed in this group.

Form: P14-P36

Racing Stripes³

Age: 6| Weight: 10-13| J: R Loughran| T: Peter Fahey| OR: 96

7/2

Nothing of note in a couple of handicap hurdle spins since returning to the track following an absence of over 12-months. Hard to fancy on latest evidence.

Form: 4604/77

Non-Runners

Call Me Pj²³

Weight: 11-12| Age: 11

T: O McKiernan J: B Browne

Tyrrell's Succes²⁴

Weight: 11-12| Age: 7

T: D A McLoughlin J: Mr L P Gilligan

Roi De Dubai⁴

Weight: 11-11| Age: 6

T: J C McConnell J: M J Bolger

Floramar²⁴

Weight: 11-10| Age: 6

T: C O'Dwyer J: R A Doyle

Arch Stanton²⁴

Weight: 11-3| Age: 5

T: N Meade J: J M Moore

Mill Forge¹³

Weight: 11-2| Age: 11

T: S R B Crawford J: Reserve 1

Rancher Lass²⁴

Weight: 10-11| Age: 7

T: K Thornton J: Reserve 3

Forecasts

Racing Stripes (7/2), Arch Stanton (5/1), Fred The Foot (11/2), The Major General (11/2), Balinaboola Steel (7/1), Ourmanmassini (8/1), Roi De Dubai (8/1), Coolfighter (11/1), Ronald Pump (12/1), Persian Wind (16/1), Derby De Thaix (16/1), Floramar (16/1), Tyrrell's Succes (16/1), Le Braye (20/1), Shake The Bucket (20/1), Steamboat Bill (20/1), King's War (22/1), Whatever It Takes (25/1), Black Label (25/1), Call Me Pj (25/1), Mill Forge (25/1), Rancher Lass (33/1), Silken Thomas (40/1)

Although a competitive looking contest on paper it may come down to two of the main protagonists in ROI DE DUBAI who can make the most of his current form and 4lb pull from Coolfighter to land the spoils here. With the Gordon Elliott-trained Ourmanmassini must come in to the reckoning along with the solid and consistent The Major General, potential improver, Arch Stanton and Fred The Foot, beaten favourite on seasonal debut at Cork recently.