BBA Ireland Limited Opera Hat Mares Chase (Listed)

Off time: 15:21 | Winning time: 4m 11.8s

Listen Dear⁶²

Age: 7| Weight: 10-13| J: Ruby Walsh| T: W P Mullins| OR: 140

4/7

Yet to sample defeat in seven starts over jumps, including three times over fences. Should have the winning of this for last year's winning trainer/jockey combination.

Form: 1-11114

Solita^t²⁰

Age: 8| Weight: 10-11| J: D N Russell| T: P Nolan| OR: 132

16/1

Switches to chasing having been running over timber late, two-time winner over fences early last year, but would need a career-best effort to win this on ratings.

Form: 27302P-

Dorkas^t1²¹

Age: 8| Weight: 10-7| J: B T O'Connell| T: J R Finn

100/1

Formbook suggests she has a stiff task on here, she finished more than 30-lengths adrift of Slowmotion in a C&D beginners' event for mares last month.

Form: 21/7858-

Keppols Queen^t²³

Age: 9| Weight: 10-7| J: M J Bolger| T: Mrs J Harrington| OR: 134

8/1

Form behind Royal Caviar at Thurles in December looks positive, was set to go very close at Thurles last month when crashing out at the last. Must bounce from that experience but dangerous to write her off.

Form: PF342U-

Slowmotion³⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 10-2| J: Mark Walsh| T: J P O'Brien| OR: 135

9/4

Jumping still something of a concern having fallen on chase bow, got the job done well enough last time out over C&D and entitled to be better off for that. Runner-up Elusive Ivy has won since and re-opposes now.

Form: F21121

Non-Runners

Elusive Ivy¹³

Weight: 10-7| Age: 7

T: G P Cromwell J: D J Mullins

Forecasts

Listen Dear (4/7), Slowmotion (9/4), Keppols Queen (8/1), Elusive Ivy (14/1), Solita (16/1), Dorkas (100/1)

Willie Mullins won this race last year and his unbeaten LISTEN DEAR should make another bold bid. She's won three chase starts in good fashion and is unlikely to be put off if she has to scrap. Last month's C&D winner Slowmotion is an obvious danger and should have further improvement on just her third chase outing. Keppols Queen suffered a final fence fall recently but might have had her concentration pricked by the loose horse alongside, she should go well now. Elusive Ivy scored in a handicap recently and is closely matched with Slowmotion on form. 1. Listen Dear 2. Keppols Queen 3. Slowmotion