Botanica International Handicap Chase

4YO plus | 2m 4f 219y | 9 Runners | Turf

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Selected odds by:

Jasmin De Cotte^h²⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: Sean O'Keeffe| T: P Nolan| OR: 113

Fell at first in handicap chase (17/2) at Listowel (23.8f, good to soft) 26 days ago. Jumping remains a concern.

Form: 58335-F

Ceroc^b²⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 11-9| J: Phillip Enright| T: A Slattery| OR: 110

Moody sort. First run since leaving E. J. O'Grady when 11/1, pulled up in handicap chase at Listowel (19.4f, good to soft) 27 days ago, badly hampered sixth. That isn't a race to judge him harshly on and blinkers return.

Form: 33-023P

The Dara Man¹¹

Age: 10| Weight: 11-9| J: Michael Kenneally⁽⁷⁾| T: J P Ryan| OR: 110

Unreliable individual. Unseated rider in handicap chase (14/1) at Cork (17.6f, good) 11 days ago, off the bridle early. Hard to warm to at present.

Form: P42P0U

Whateys Quest^p⁴⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 11-9| J: Philip Byrnes| T: C Byrnes| OR: 110| C

Tenth of 13 in handicap chase (16/1) at Galway (22.5f, soft) 45 days ago. Cheekpieces back on. Not easy to make a case for on the back of that low-key return.

Form: 01U73-0

Jouster^t⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-7| J: Keith Donoghue| T: P W Flynn| OR: 108| D

40/1, first run since leaving Gavin Patrick Cromwell when thirteenth of 17 in handicap hurdle at Punchestown (16.2f, good to soft) 9 days ago. Switches from hurdles to chase. Tongue strap back on.

Form: 1109P-0

Person Of Interest^p,t²⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: Sean Flanagan| T: J J Hanlon| OR: 105

Emphatic winner of handicap chase at Downpatrick in August. Pulled up in handicap chase (7/1) at Listowel (19.4f, good to soft) 27 days ago, let down by jumping.

Form: 63-2P1P

Ollie La Ba Ba^p,t²⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 11-2| J: Darragh O'Keeffe| T: E McCarthy| OR: 103

Promising sort. Bounced back to best when winning 16-runner handicap hurdle at Listowel (18f, good to soft, 9/2) 27 days ago. Switches from hurdles to chase. Cheekpieces back on and given he's 2 lb lower, he has a lot in his favour.

Form: 2-6F361

Spellacy's Cross²¹

Age: 6| Weight: 10-8| J: Donagh Meyler| T: J Barcoe| OR: 95| C

9/2, career best when winning 12-runner handicap chase at this course (18.6f, good to soft) 21 days ago, driven out. Can make presence felt up just 3 lb.

Form: 2226U1

Doyen Magic⁵⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 10-6| J: Simon Torrens| T: P J Rothwell| OR: 93

Winning chase debut at Kilbeggan in July. 13/2, seventh of 11 in handicap chase at Wexford (19.4f, good) 55 days ago, folding.

Form: 70-91U7

Forecasts

Spellacy's Cross (3/1), Ollie La Ba Ba (7/2), The Dara Man (6/1), Person Of Interest (7/1), Doyen Magic (8/1), Jasmin De Cotte (8/1), Ceroc (10/1), Jouster (14/1), Whateys Quest (14/1)

OLLIE LA BA BA has to prove he can do it over fences but he arrives in top form with a big-field handicap win over hurdles and given he's 2 lb lower, there's plenty in his favour. Spellacy's Cross is the obvious danger with a lot of these having plenty to prove.