19:50 Galway

Monday 28 July 2025

All17:1017:4018:1018:4019:1519:5020:20

Gra Chocolates Handicap

Off time: 19:50 | Winning time: 2m 51.26s

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Selected odds by:

(2)

Propose³⁹

Age: 3| Weight: 10-0| J: Wayne Lordan| T: A P O'Brien| OR: 90

11/2

Lightly-raced winner. Successful at the Curragh in May. Eighteenth of 19 in handicap (9/1) at Royal Ascot (12f, firm) 39 days ago. Leading claims with sights lowered here.

Form: 7-210

(3)

Starford²⁷

Age: 3| Weight: 9-11| J: Chris Hayes| T: J P O'Brien| OR: 87

2/1

Lightly-raced winner. 2 wins from 5 runs this year. Career best when winning 10-runner handicap at Roscommon (10.3f, good to soft, 6/5) 27 days ago, readily. Open to further improvement now faced with a stiffer test.

Form: 79711

(9)

Bibe Mus²⁷⁰

Age: 3| Weight: 9-8| J: Ronan Whelan| T: R O'Sullivan| OR: 84

22/1

49/10, won 8-runner maiden at Lyon Parilly (9.9f, soft) when last seen 9 months ago. Up in trip for this handicap/yard debut and he's an interesting candidate.

Form: 41-

(5)

Kilmeaden^p³⁷

Age: 3| Weight: 9-6| J: P A Harnett⁽⁵⁾| T: Donnacha O'Brien| OR: 82

11/2

Lightly-raced maiden. Fourth of 6 in handicap (7/2) at Down Royal (12.9f, good) 37 days ago. Yard having good spell and he's a leading contender.

Form: 3244

(8)

Fortuna Vera³¹

Age: 3| Weight: 9-4| J: M W Hassett⁽³⁾| T: J P O'Brien| OR: 80| BF

10/1

Latest win at Leopardstown in May. 3/1, good second of 16 in handicap at the Curragh (12f, good) 31 days ago. Jockey bookings suggest that she's not the stable No 1, but couldn't rule out all the same.

Form: 1-74132

(4)

Dun An Oir³¹

Age: 3| Weight: 9-0| J: S Foley| T: Mrs J Harrington| OR: 76

12/1

Thrice-raced maiden. Eighth of 19 in maiden at the Curragh (10f, good, 22/1) 31 days ago, not knocked about. Up in trip for this handicap debut.

Form: 058

(10)

Desmond Castle^p,t1¹⁶

Age: 3| Weight: 8-10| J: Declan McDonogh| T: J P O'Brien| OR: 72

12/1

Cheekpieces on for 1st time, creditable third of 7 in handicap at Limerick (11.3f, good, 20/1) 16 days ago. Tongue strap on 1st time and he's not discounted.

Form: 025-603

(11)

Bear Creek^p¹⁰

Age: 3| Weight: 8-9| J: Dylan Browne McMonagle| T: J P O'Brien| OR: 71

6/1

Career best when winning 9-runner handicap (15/8) at Down Royal (13f, good) 10 days ago. Open to improvement and appears to be one of the better-fancied runners from the yard's 4 candidates, judged on jockey bookings.

Form: 000831

(7)

Miss Nifty¹¹

Age: 3| Weight: 8-9| J: Rory Cleary| T: S Lavery| OR: 71

16/1

Latest win at Naas in June. Creditable third of 10 in handicap (4/1) at Leopardstown (12.8f, good) 11 days ago. Place possibilities.

Form: 5089-13

(1)

Eagles Dream^p1⁷

Age: 3| Weight: 8-7| J: Nathan Crosse| T: J J Murphy| OR: 69

12/1

11/2, good third of 12 in handicap at Ballinrobe (9.6f, good to soft) 7 days ago. Up in trip and cheekpieces on 1st time. Merits consideration.

Form: 40-0033

(6)

Boyne Valley⁷

Age: 3| Weight: 8-7| J: W Joyce⁽³⁾| T: M Mulvany| OR: 61

40/1

40/1, excellent second of 12 in handicap at Ballinrobe (9.6f, good to soft) 7 days ago, not ideally placed. Up in trip and some of the others are more appealing.

Form: 3-90702

Forecasts

Starford (2/1), Kilmeaden (11/2), Propose (11/2), Bear Creek (6/1), Fortuna Vera (10/1), Eagles Dream (12/1), Dun An Oir (12/1), Desmond Castle (12/1), Miss Nifty (16/1), Bibe Mus (22/1), Boyne Valley (40/1)

STARFORD is taken to make it 3-3 in handicaps upped in trip here following back-to-back wins at around 1¼m at Gowran and Roscommon. The son of Beckford remains open to improvement and gets the nod ahead of Propose, who looked promising prior to his no-show at Royal Ascot and it would be no surprise whatsoever to see him get back on track here. The selection's stablemate Bear Creek and Kilmeaden are others to consider.