17:40 Galway

Thursday 1 August 2024

All14:1014:4515:2015:5516:3017:0517:4018:10

Guinness 0.0 Handicap (50-70)

Off time: 17:40 | Winning time: 2m 40.18s

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(18)

Desert Friend¹⁴

Age: 8| Weight: 10-2| J: J A Heffernan| T: Mrs D Foster| OR: 70

16/1

Latest win at Ballinrobe in June. Good fourth of 11 in handicap at Leopardstown (12.8f, good, 5/1) 14 days ago, ridden over 1f out and staying on. Needs considering in present groove.

Form: 9-88514

(9)

Vidisha¹³

Age: 4| Weight: 10-2| J: Rory Mulligan⁽⁷⁾| T: J P Murtagh| OR: 70

10/1

10/1, second of 12 in handicap at Down Royal (13f, good) 13 days ago, just failing. Yard in good form. Not taken lightly.

Form: 57-772

(13)

Arch Enemy²

Age: 5| Weight: 10-1| J: R C Colgan| T: P Magee| OR: 69| D

20/1

Fifteen runs since last win in 2023. 8/1, fifteenth of 17 in handicap at this course (8.6f, good to soft) 2 days ago. Significantly up in trip.

Form: 326240

(7)

Diyaba²⁷⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 10-1| J: J J G Ryan⁽⁵⁾| T: Ciaran Murphy| OR: 69

28/1

Lightly-raced maiden. Bit below form fifth of 14 in maiden at the Curragh (12f, heavy, 6/1). Off 9 months. First run for yard after leaving M. Halford & T. Collins. Makes handicap debut.

Form: 78345-

(16)

Son Of Hypnos^b,t³

Age: 7| Weight: 10-1| J: W Joyce⁽⁵⁾| T: K Smith| OR: 69| CD

7/2

C&D winner. Blinkered for 1st time, improved on recent efforts to win 20-runner handicap hurdle at this course (16.6f, good, 16/1) 3 days ago, going clear. Needs considering again provided the headgear has desired effect once more.

Form: 650/4-28

(19)

The Mpex Kid¹⁰⁷

Age: 8| Weight: 10-1| J: D S O'Sullivan⁽¹⁰⁾| T: Ciaran Murphy| OR: 69

50/1

Tenth of 19 in novice hurdle (100/1) at Naas (16.5f, soft) 107 days ago. Needs to hit the ground running back from a break.

Form: 03178-7

(6)

Chatterbox¹⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 10-0| J: S Foley| T: J J Murphy| OR: 68

9/1

9/2, very good second of 15 in handicap hurdle at Killarney (17f, good) 14 days ago. Performed creditably when runner-up on the Flat previously and she commands respect.

Form: 0/4827-2

(20)

Bright N Shine^t²⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 9-13| J: Adam Caffrey⁽³⁾| T: T O'Brien| OR: 67| BF

18/1

Made a bright start for this yard last winter, opening his account at Dundalk (10.7f) in November. Below best after 8 months off when tenth of 14 in handicap at that venue (12f) 20 days ago but that ought to have blown the cobwebs away.

Form: 22812-0

(17)

Secret Rock^h,t⁹⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 9-13| J: D King⁽⁵⁾| T: Mrs C O'Leary| OR: 67| D

14/1

Latest win at Dundalk (12f) in January. Found run of good form coming to a halt when thirteenth of 19 in handicap at Navan (13f, good to soft) in April, unable to sustain effort. Given a break since (gone well fresh previously) so not one to write off.

Form: 318-140

(21)

Cafe Con Leche⁴⁰

Age: 8| Weight: 9-12| J: S P Davis| T: C Byrnes| OR: 66

28/1

Remains a maiden after 19 Flat runs. Respectable sixth of 14 in handicap (33/1) at Limerick (12.5f, good) 40 days ago, left with too much to do. Should be sharper now given that was his first start for 6 months and market confidence behind him would look significant.

Form: 90734-6

(2)

Lady Christa³⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 9-12| J: W J Lee| T: S Lavery| OR: 66| BF| D

5/1

Winner at Fairyhouse in June. 4/1, fifteenth of 18 in handicap at the Curragh (12f, good) 34 days ago. Present mark demands that bit more now.

Form: 205-210

(10)

True Statesman^p¹³

Age: 4| Weight: 9-12| J: Ronan Whelan| T: A McGuinness| OR: 66

50/1

Temperamental sort. Eighteen runs since last win in 2022. 22/1 and visored for 1st time, last of 8 in handicap at Down Royal (10.6f, good) 13 days ago. Cheekpieces back on. Others more persuasive.

Form: 646708

(4)

Best Law^b¹⁷

Age: 3| Weight: 9-6| J: Colin Keane| T: G M Lyons| OR: 70

11/2

1 win from 3 runs this year. 9/2 and blinkered for 1st time, career best when winning 12-runner handicap at Killarney (11.3f, good to firm) 17 days ago, readily. Going the right way now and he needs considering again.

Form: 657-031

(5)

King Of The Bronx³⁴

Age: 3| Weight: 9-4| J: Gary Carroll| T: G P Cromwell| OR: 68

18/1

Lightly-raced winner. 12/1, first run since leaving Nigel Slevin when eighteenth of 21 in handicap at the Curragh (9f, good) 34 days ago. Significantly up in trip. Something to find on form.

Form: 80-010

(12)

Preparations²⁵

Age: 3| Weight: 9-4| J: A J Slattery| T: A Slattery| OR: 68

10/1

Thrice-raced maiden. 33/1, eighth of 11 in maiden at Limerick (11.3f, good) 25 days ago. Makes handicap debut.

Form: 748

(14)

Question Of Class^b1¹³

Age: 3| Weight: 9-4| J: R P Cleary| T: J S Bolger| OR: 68| BF

10/1

18/5, creditable third of 9 in handicap at Down Royal (13f, good) 13 days ago. Blinkers on 1st time and she's worth a second look dropping back down in trip.

Form: 07-6233

(3)

There's No Limit^p¹³

Age: 3| Weight: 9-2| J: D P McDonogh| T: C Collins| OR: 66

40/1

Ran up to best when shedding maiden tag in a Ballinrobe claimer (9.7f) in June. Finished fourth of 11 in juvenile hurdle at Killarney on NH debut since and he's an each-way player now stamina is tested further back in this sphere.

Form: 04-5591

(1)

Hidden Land²⁶

Age: 7| Weight: 9-11| J: Luke McAteer| T: A Kinirons| OR: 65| BF| D

25/1

Flat/hurdles winner who resumed winning ways from the front in handicap hurdle at Downpatrick (18.8f) in June. Unable to boss matters in pair of outings under both codes since. Reserve 1.

Form: 71695-7

Non-Runners

(11)

Noble Crusade¹⁴

Weight: 9-12| Age: 6

T: J C McConnell J: K G Kennedy

(8)

Jupiter Rock¹⁵

Weight: 9-11| Age: 4

T: D Hogan J: Reserve 2

(15)

Jawhary³⁸

Weight: 9-11| Age: 6

T: A McGuinness J: Reserve 3

Forecasts

Son Of Hypnos (7/2), Lady Christa (5/1), Best Law (11/2), Chatterbox (9/1), Vidisha (10/1), Preparations (10/1), Question Of Class (10/1), Secret Rock (14/1), Desert Friend (16/1), Bright N Shine (18/1), King Of The Bronx (18/1), Arch Enemy (20/1), Jawhary (20/1), Hidden Land (25/1), Jupiter Rock (25/1), Noble Crusade (25/1), Diyaba (28/1), Cafe Con Leche (28/1), There's No Limit (40/1), True Statesman (50/1), The Mpex Kid (50/1)

BEST LAW has stepped up with each outing this season, running out a ready winner in first-time blinkers at Killarney 17 days ago. Easily one of the least exposed, he gets the narrow vote to defy the handicapper and come out on top again. Vidisha and Cafe Con Leche are others to consider, with Question of Class another 3-y-o to consider.