14:45 Curragh

Saturday 20 April 2024

All13:3514:1014:4515:2015:5516:3017:05

Hytech EQ Ultra Handicap

Off time: 14:47 | Winning time: 1m 50.13s

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Selected odds by:

(8)

Crystal Black²²³

Age: 6| Weight: 10-0| J: Colin Keane| T: G Keane| OR: 94| CD

4/1

Two wins from 6 runs last year. Career best when winning 22-runner handicap at this course (10f, good to soft, 5/1). Off 7 months. Must improve.

Form: 990131-

(2)

Fiscal Rules¹⁰⁷⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 9-12| J: N G McCullagh| T: J S Bolger| OR: 92

80/1

6½ lengths fifth of 7 to Snapraeterea in listed race (5/1) at Naas (7f, heavy). Off over 2 years. Makes handicap debut.

Form: 155285/

(14)

Grey Leader¹⁸⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 9-10| J: Luke McAteer| T: J G Murphy| OR: 90| D

25/1

Lightly-raced winner. Three wins from 5 runs last year. Career best when winning 5-runner minor event (10/3) at Gowran (8.3f, heavy). Off 6 months. Makes handicap debut. Has work to do.

Form: 61131-

(6)

Fast Tara¹⁸¹

Age: 4| Weight: 9-9| J: Dylan Browne McMonagle| T: J P O'Brien| OR: 89| D

9/1

16/1, 6¼ lengths seventh of 8 to Mutasarref in listed race at Leopardstown (8f, heavy). Off 6 months. First run for yard after leaving John Patrick Murtagh. Needs a couple of these to falter.

Form: 643057-

(16)

Mr Rango^p1¹⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 9-8| J: S Foley| T: John M Harney| OR: 88| C

7/2

Course winner. Career best when winning 13-runner handicap at Leopardstown (10f, heavy, 10/3) 10 days ago, driven clear. Cheekpieces on 1st time. Not easy to make a case for.

Form: 9874-31

(3)

Current Option^h³³

Age: 8| Weight: 9-7| J: C J MacRedmond⁽⁵⁾| T: A McGuinness| OR: 87

66/1

Fifteen runs since last win in 2022. Eighteenth of 19 in handicap at this C&D (heavy, 50/1) 33 days ago. Hood back on.

Form: 90508-0

(1)

Lady Lunette²⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 9-7| J: Ben Coen| T: R P Cody| OR: 87| CD

40/1

C&D winner. Tailed-off sixth of 7 to Sunchart in listed race (40/1) at Naas (10.4f, heavy) 27 days ago. Back down in trip.

Form: 21105-6

(12)

Scholarship²¹

Age: 4| Weight: 9-6| J: S T McCullagh⁽³⁾| T: Gerard O'Leary| OR: 86

11/1

First run since leaving Clive Cox when good ½-length second of 9 to Independent Expert in handicap at Cork (7f, heavy, 13/2) 21 days ago. Others more persuasive.

Form: 30692-2

(13)

Simply Sideways²¹

Age: 7| Weight: 9-6| J: M W Hassett⁽⁷⁾| T: T Doyle| OR: 86| D

12/1

Five wins from 13 runs last year. 7/1, respectable 3 lengths fifth of 9 to Independent Expert in handicap at Cork (7f, heavy) 21 days ago, unsuited by drop in trip. Not taken lightly.

Form: 1193-95

(11)

Casanova³³

Age: 8| Weight: 9-5| J: Adam Caffrey⁽⁵⁾| T: A McGuinness| OR: 85| D

11/1

Twenty eight runs since last win in 2021. 25/1, respectable fourth of 19 in handicap at this C&D (heavy) 33 days ago. Expected to be bang there.

Form: 00909-4

(9)

Earls^t³³

Age: 7| Weight: 9-5| J: Gary Carroll| T: G P Cromwell| OR: 85| D

11/1

22/1, creditable fifth of 19 in handicap at this C&D (heavy) 33 days ago, slowly away. Others more persuasive.

Form: 03487-5

(5)

Spirit Genie^p,t²⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 9-5| J: J A Heffernan| T: J Candlish| OR: 85

13/2

Latest win at Leicester in October. 25/1, respectable sixth of 20 in handicap at Doncaster (8f, heavy) 28 days ago, unable to sustain effort.

Form: 88129-6

(10)

Mexicali Rose¹⁶⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 9-2| J: D P McDonogh| T: J P O'Brien| OR: 82| BF

8/1

4/1, respectable third of 15 in handicap at Newmarket (10f, soft). Off 169 days. First run for yard after leaving Ralph Beckett. Can give a good account without posing serious threat to principals.

Form: 223123-

(7)

Independent Expert²¹

Age: 5| Weight: 9-1| J: A J Slattery| T: A Slattery| OR: 81| C| D

14/1

Course winner. 17/2, career best when winning 9-runner handicap at Cork (7f, heavy) 21 days ago by ½ length from Scholarship, slowly away.

Form: 48204-1

(15)

Pralognan^t³⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 8-13| J: Wayne Lordan| T: A J Martin| OR: 79| D

66/1

16/1, fell in handicap hurdle at Down Royal (20f, soft) 34 days ago. Significantly back down in trip. Tongue strap back on. Can make presence felt.

Form: 622/023-

(4)

Sirjack Thomas¹³

Age: 9| Weight: 8-7| J: J A Powell⁽³⁾| T: A McGuinness| OR: 73| CD

16/1

C&D winner. Fifteen runs since last win in 2023. Respectable fifth of 14 in handicap at Leopardstown (8f, heavy, 17/2) 13 days ago, running on. Merits consideration.

Form: 05-8435

Forecasts

Mr Rango (7/2), Crystal Black (4/1), Spirit Genie (13/2), Mexicali Rose (8/1), Fast Tara (9/1), Earls (11/1), Casanova (11/1), Scholarship (11/1), Simply Sideways (12/1), Independent Expert (14/1), Sirjack Thomas (16/1), Grey Leader (25/1), Lady Lunette (40/1), Pralognan (66/1), Current Option (66/1), Fiscal Rules (80/1)

It's been a while since CASANOVA last got his head in front but he's been given a chance by the handicapper and there were positives to glean form his effort over this C&D last month. The 8-y-o shades preference ahead of Independent Expert, who got the better of Scholarship at Cork recently and a 4 lb rise is hardly draconian. The latter should be on the premises once again, too, and Mr Rango is another to consider.