20:00 Curragh

Friday 27 June 2025

All16:5017:2017:5018:2018:5019:2520:00

Fitzpatrick's Mercedes-Benz Apprentice Derby Handicap

Off time: 20:00 | Winning time: 2m 33.55s

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Selected odds by:

(1)

Not Just Any Eagle³³

Age: 6| Weight: 10-2| J: R Donaghue-Leahy⁽⁷⁾| T: P J Flynn| OR: 82| D

8/1

Latest win at Leopardstown in May. Creditable fifth of 20 in handicap (14/1) at this course (14f, good) 33 days ago, finishing with running left. Not discounted.

Form: 15-8815

(16)

Bruant¹²

Age: 4| Weight: 10-1| J: D King| T: A J Martin| OR: 81

22/1

Fairly useful winner on Flat in France who caused a surprise when making third hurdles start a winning one in 8-runner novice hurdle at Downpatrick (17.8f, good to soft, 40/1) 12 days ago, pushed out. Others make greater appeal returned to this sphere, however.

Form: 12371-0

(4)

Crassus⁴⁵

Age: 8| Weight: 9-13| J: James Ryan| T: N Meade| OR: 79| C

33/1

Course winner who shaped as if retaining ability following 18 months off when eighth of 15 in handicap (22/1) at Killarney (16.8f, good) 45 days ago, not clear run. Needs to build on that now. Down in trip.

Form: 31473/8

(8)

Pachmena^t⁶³

Age: 8| Weight: 9-10| J: Robert Whearty| T: G P Cromwell| OR: 76| CD

25/1

C&D winner. 13/2, eleventh of 15 in handicap hurdle at Kilbeggan (19.4f, good to soft) 63 days ago. Fairly useful on the Flat, below form on last Flat outing. Needs a couple of these to falter.

Form: 585418-

(5)

Party Dress^v1,t¹⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 9-8| J: Megan Telford-Kelly⁽⁷⁾| T: W McCreery| OR: 74

18/1

25/1 and tongue strap on for 1st time, career best when winning 11-runner handicap at Limerick (17f, good) 16 days ago, just holding on. Back down in trip. Visor on 1st time and she's not out of things.

Form: 603-591

(13)

Daboya²⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 9-6| J: Donagh O'Connor⁽⁷⁾| T: R Donohoe| OR: 72

80/1

Fair filly who landed a Dundalk maiden (1m) on final start for Dermot Weld in November. Disappointed on stable debut a month later though, and she made an inauspicious start over hurdles when tenth of 22 in maiden at Punchestown (16.5f) 3 weeks ago.

Form: 264818-

(12)

Barrogstown Girl⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 9-4| J: Neve Bennett⁽⁷⁾| T: J P Fahey| OR: 70| C

4/1

Course winner. 15/8, good second of 10 in handicap at Limerick (12.3f, good) 6 days ago, finding only a well-treated rival too strong. Looks competitive on form.

Form: 361-542

(3)

Chutzpal^b³³

Age: 6| Weight: 9-4| J: A S Grant⁽⁷⁾| T: H De Bromhead| OR: 70

10/1

8/1, resumed following 6 months off with a creditable seventh of 20 in handicap at this course (14f, good) 33 days ago, unable to sustain effort. Likely that will have brought him on and he's an each-way player.

Form: 60/41-77

(2)

Matt Connor^p,t³⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 9-2| J: J Cleary⁽²⁾| T: M Brassil| OR: 68

50/1

10/1, last of 7 in handicap at Roscommon (12.1f, good) 39 days ago. Cheekpieces back on. Needs to bounce back.

Form: 9/068-07

(7)

Fortuna Vera²⁵

Age: 3| Weight: 8-13| J: Julian Pietropaolo⁽⁷⁾| T: J P O'Brien| OR: 79

3/1

Latest win at Leopardstown in May. 4/1, respectable third of 9 in handicap at Gowran (9.4f, good to firm) 25 days ago. Up in trip. Yard in good form.

Form: 61-7413

(14)

Pillar Of Hope²²

Age: 7| Weight: 8-13| J: Patrick McGettigan⁽⁷⁾| T: P Sweeney| OR: 65

14/1

Sixteen runs since last win in 2023. 11/1, bit below form ninth of 16 in handicap at Leopardstown (9f, good) 22 days ago, missing break. Significantly up in trip.

Form: 450-529

(10)

Surrey Force²⁶³

Age: 4| Weight: 8-8| J: Nicola Burns⁽⁴⁾| T: T Gibney| OR: 60| BF

18/1

Fair maiden who again ran well when third of 8 in handicap at Pontefract (18f) in October, going through the race as if well ahead of his mark before finding the test too much. Absent since but he's an intriguing runner now starting out for new yard.

Form: 553233-

(9)

Cinammon Coco^p1³⁹

Age: 3| Weight: 8-7| J: M W Hassett| T: J P O'Brien| OR: 72

10/3

Promising sort. Excellent second of 15 in handicap (7/1) at Roscommon (12.1f, good) 39 days ago, conceding first run. Cheekpieces on 1st time. Big player.

Form: 0-0832

(6)

Folly Beach²⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 8-7| J: W Joyce| T: M A Molloy| OR: 58

28/1

One win from 28 Flat runs. 16/1, respectable seventh of 20 in handicap at Navan (13f, good) 20 days ago, weakening 1f out. May tighten up a little for that given it was her first start for 3 months and she's another holding place claims.

Form: 2/2770-7

(11)

Jr Mahon^p¹⁶

Age: 3| Weight: 8-7| J: Keithen Kennedy⁽²⁾| T: Mrs J Harrington| OR: 70| BF

7/1

Lightly-raced maiden. 3/1, firmly back on track when third of 14 in handicap at Limerick (11.5f, good) 16 days ago. Easily one of the least exposed and he enters calculations with further progress distinctly possible.

Form: 8763

(15)

Sunny Dude²⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 8-7| J: J A Powell| T: D Buckley| OR: 40

50/1

Good fourth of 20 in handicap at Navan (13f, good, 28/1) 20 days ago, weakening last ½f having hit the front a long way out. However, faces a stiff task on these terms.

Form: 8050-74

Forecasts

Fortuna Vera (3/1), Cinammon Coco (10/3), Barrogstown Girl (4/1), Jr Mahon (7/1), Not Just Any Eagle (8/1), Chutzpal (10/1), Pillar Of Hope (14/1), Party Dress (18/1), Surrey Force (18/1), Bruant (22/1), Pachmena (25/1), Folly Beach (28/1), Crassus (33/1), Sunny Dude (50/1), Matt Connor (50/1), Daboya (80/1)

CINAMMON COCO has stepped up with each outing this campaign, shaping particularly well having conceded first run to another progressive sort when runner-up on handicap debut at Roscommon 39 days ago. He can confirm the promise of that effort with cheekpieces now enlisted and come out on top. Jr Mahon is similarly low-mileage and feared along with Barrogstown Girl. The returning Surrey Force is another well worth keeping an eye on.