16:20 Listowel

Monday 22 September 2025

All13:3014:0214:3715:1215:4716:2016:5517:25

John McGuire Handicap (Premier Handicap)

Off time: 16:21 | Winning time: 2m 36.27s

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Selected odds by:

(7)

Taipan⁵²

Age: 7| Weight: 10-0| J: Shane Foley| T: Mrs J Harrington| OR: 99| C

22/1

Course winner. Won 7-runner minor event (5/2) at Galway (14.1f, good to soft) 52 days ago, well on top finish. Down in trip and more on his plate back in handicap company.

Form: 070-301

(8)

Cristal Clere⁶³

Age: 7| Weight: 9-13| J: Billy Lee| T: J Nallen| OR: 98

10/1

Seventeen runs since last win in 2023. Good second of 10 in handicap at Ballinrobe (12.8f, good to soft, 10/1) 63 days ago, having run of race. Booking of Lee a plus and should be in the mix,

Form: 66-3522

(4)

Smooth Tom^v⁴⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 9-5| J: Andrew Slattery| T: A Slattery| OR: 90| C| D

9/1

Won 2-runner minor event hurdle at Cork (18.4f, good, 4/5) 49 days ago, bit in hand. Useful on the Flat, below form on last Flat outing. Enters calculations.

Form: 2101-38

(3)

Clear Quartz²¹

Age: 8| Weight: 9-2| J: Reese Holohan⁽¹⁰⁾| T: M Fahey| OR: 87| D

18/1

Career best when winning 16-runner handicap (12/1) at Roscommon (12.1f, good to soft) 21 days ago by 1¾ lengths from Granite Bay, kept up to work. Looks vulnerable up 6 lb.

Form: 4148-01

(11)

Granite Bay²¹

Age: 4| Weight: 9-0| J: Ronan Whelan| T: J P Fahey| OR: 85| C| D

9/2

Course winner. 5/1, good 1¾ lengths second of 16 to Clear Quartz in handicap at Roscommon (12.1f, good to soft) 21 days ago, staying on well. Each-way claims.

Form: 141-452

(5)

Not Just Any Eagle¹¹

Age: 6| Weight: 8-13| J: R Donaghue-Leahy⁽⁷⁾| T: P J Flynn| OR: 84| D

11/1

Good second of 11 in handicap (8/1) at Clonmel (16.6f, soft) 11 days ago. Significantly back down in trip and unlikely to be far away.

Form: 572932

(1)

Soaring Monarch⁴⁰

Age: 8| Weight: 8-13| J: J Cleary⁽⁵⁾| T: J M Barrett| OR: 84| CD

16/1

Course winner. Sixth of 7 in handicap at Gowran (12.4f, good to firm, 11/2) 40 days ago. Needs to bounce back.

Form: 6-06086

(6)

Starford⁵⁶

Age: 3| Weight: 8-12| J: D Browne McMonagle| T: J P O'Brien| OR: 90| BF

11/8

Two wins from 6 runs this year, the latest at Roscommon in July. 2/1, very good second of 11 in handicap at Galway (12.4f, good to soft) 56 days ago. Solid claims.

Form: 797112

(9)

Burren Song^t²¹

Age: 7| Weight: 8-11| J: Patrick McGettigan⁽⁷⁾| T: Ciaran Murphy| OR: 82| D

16/1

Sixteen runs since last win in 2023. Good 2 lengths third of 16 to Clear Quartz in handicap (9/1) at Roscommon (12.1f, good to soft) 21 days ago, well positioned. Expected to be bang there.

Form: 583273

(10)

God Of Thunder^p,t⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 8-11| J: Keithen Kennedy⁽⁵⁾| T: D Hogan| OR: 82| D

22/1

Latest win at Limerick in June. 40/1, sixteenth of 17 in handicap at Leopardstown (13f, good) 9 days ago. WIll be a threat if on-song.

Form: 5-10600

(2)

Thatwilldoso⁴⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 8-7| J: Rory Cleary| T: Kevin Coleman| OR: 78| D

9/1

Creditable second of 6 in handicap at Sligo (10.6f, good to soft, 10/3) 47 days ago, conceding first run. Place possibilities.

Form: 050112

Forecasts

Starford (11/8), Granite Bay (9/2), Thatwilldoso (9/1), Smooth Tom (9/1), Cristal Clere (10/1), Not Just Any Eagle (11/1), Soaring Monarch (16/1), Burren Song (16/1), Clear Quartz (18/1), God Of Thunder (22/1), Taipan (22/1)

BURREN SONG was behind Clear Quartz and Granite Bay at Roscommon three weeks ago, but it could prove to be a different story on these revised terms and the 7-y-o is taken to snap a losing run stretching back to May 2023. Clear Quartz and Granite Bay should both be on the premises once again, but Starford, who has improved since switched to handicaps and remains unexposed over this sort of trip, is feared most on this occasion. God of Thunder also enters calculations.