19:00 Leopardstown

Thursday 8 June 2023

All17:3018:0018:3019:0019:3020:0020:30

Plusvital Speed Gene Handicap

Off time: 19:00 | Winning time: 1m 54.25s

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Selected odds by:

(6)

Howyoulikethat¹³

Age: 6| Weight: 10-0| J: Ben Coen| T: Miss H McLoughlin| OR: 91| C

10/1

Course winner. Respectable tenth of 20 in handicap at the Curragh (8f, good to soft, 66/1) 13 days ago, nearest finish. Not discounted.

Form: 40310-0

(4)

Longbourn^t¹²⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 9-13| J: Dylan Browne McMonagle| T: R O'Sullivan| OR: 90| D

8/1

Eleven runs since last win in 2021. Last of 16 in handicap at Sakhir (9f, good). Off 125 days and it's best to look elsewhere.

Form: 4322-00

(9)

Celtic Crown⁵⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 9-12| J: C J MacRedmond⁽⁵⁾| T: A McGuinness| OR: 89| D

18/1

14/1, ninth of 11 in handicap at Gowran (7f, soft) 50 days ago, very slowly away. Back up in trip and others are more persuasive.

Form: 770-369

(1)

Charcor^t⁴²

Age: 9| Weight: 9-10| J: Luke McAteer⁽³⁾| T: M Brassil| OR: 87| D

40/1

First run since leaving Noel C. Kelly when seventeenth of 25 in handicap hurdle at Punchestown (16.2f, good to soft, 50/1) 42 days ago, not knocked about. Last seen out in this sphere back in August 2020.

Form: 412802/

(5)

Higher Kingdom⁷⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 9-9| J: Siobhan Rutledge⁽⁵⁾| T: J C McConnell| OR: 86

25/1

Two wins from 5 runs this year, the latest at Dundalk in March. Creditable seventh of 12 in handicap at Dundalk (10.7f, 11/2) 76 days ago. Place possibilities.

Form: 1-81317

(7)

Pierre Lapin^p¹³

Age: 6| Weight: 9-9| J: G M Ryan| T: A McGuinness| OR: 86

10/1

25/1, fifteenth of 20 in handicap at the Curragh (8f, good to soft) 13 days ago. Needs to bounce back.

Form: 152-600

(11)

Eskimo Komet¹¹³

Age: 4| Weight: 9-7| J: Nathan Crosse| T: L Comer| OR: 84

28/1

10/1, fifth of 8 in handicap at Dundalk (10.7f). Off 113 days and he remains on a stiff-looking mark.

Form: 5080-75

(12)

Malabu Drive^t³⁰²

Age: 4| Weight: 9-7| J: Colin Keane| T: G M Lyons| OR: 84

6/1

Lightly-raced winner. 9/2, very good fourth of 9 in handicap at Gowran (12.4f, good) when last seen 10 months ago. Down in trip and claims if ready to roll.

Form: 5514-

(3)

Coeur d'Or¹³

Age: 7| Weight: 9-5| J: Chris Hayes| T: D K Weld| OR: 82

4/1

Good ½-length second of 20 to Sirjack Thomas in handicap at the Curragh (8f, good to soft, 10/1) 13 days ago, conceding first run. Leading contender.

Form: 48713-2

(13)

Mulgrave^h,t⁶²

Age: 5| Weight: 9-5| J: D W O'Connor| T: J C McConnell| OR: 82

22/1

Three wins from 5 runs this year, the latest at Dundalk in February. Creditable fifth of 10 in handicap (12/1) at Lingfield (8f, AW) 62 days ago, running on. 0-11 on turf.

Form: 4-21115

(8)

Sirjack Thomas¹³

Age: 8| Weight: 9-5| J: Adam Caffrey⁽⁷⁾| T: A McGuinness| OR: 82| D

16/1

16/1, improved on recent efforts to win 20-runner handicap at the Curragh (8f, good to soft) 13 days ago by ½ length from Coeur D'or, always holding on. More needed up 7 lb but merits respect all the same.

Form: 7-05001

(2)

Coill Na Sionainne⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 9-1| J: W J Lee| T: W McCreery| OR: 78| C

5/1

Course winner. Eighteen runs since last win in 2021. Bit below form fourth of 8 in handicap at Fairyhouse (10f, good, 9/1) 7 days ago. Likely to again find one or two too good.

Form: 89-7074

(10)

Independent Expert¹⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 8-13| J: A J Slattery| T: A Slattery| OR: 76

4/1

9/1, good third of 13 in handicap at Naas (8f, good to firm) 18 days ago, nearest finish. Expected to be bang there once more.

Form: 76-4033

Forecasts

Coeur d'Or (4/1), Independent Expert (4/1), Coill Na Sionainne (5/1), Malabu Drive (6/1), Longbourn (8/1), Howyoulikethat (10/1), Pierre Lapin (10/1), Sirjack Thomas (16/1), Celtic Crown (18/1), Mulgrave (22/1), Higher Kingdom (25/1), Eskimo Komet (28/1), Charcor (40/1)

COEUR D'OR was returning from a 4-month break when a close second to Sirjack Thomas over a mile at the Curragh recently and is taken to reverse the placings with that rival here. Dermot Weld's charge enjoys a 3 lb pull with the winner and shapes as though this slight step back up in trip will be in his favour. Independent Expert has put in good shifts on her last 2 starts and is likely to be in the thick of things, while the lightly-raced Malabu Drive is also shortlisted.