19:25 Navan

Monday 24 April 2017

All16:2516:5517:2517:5518:2518:5519:2519:55

Blackwater Handicap

Off time: 19:26 | Winning time: 1m 41.43s

(7)

Escape Clause²¹¹

Age: 3| Weight: 9-10| J: C O'Donoghue| T: Mrs J Harrington| OR: 88

10/1

Won heavy ground Listowel maiden on debut then stepped up sharply in class and outclassed in Group 2 also on heavy a few weeks later. Hard to assess and interesting to see how he fares now on better ground.

Form: 16-6

(5)

Elusive Beauty²²

Age: 3| Weight: 9-8| J: P J Smullen| T: K J Condon| OR: 86

7/1

Landed Fairyhouse maiden last year and shaped nicely when runner-up at Cork three weeks ago in the mud. Sound surface no problem but may again find a few too good.

Form: 54-6231

(3)

Gino Severini^p1¹⁶

Age: 3| Weight: 9-5| J: Chris Hayes| T: J A Stack| OR: 83

3/1

Won at Naas in March on handicap bow and went close last time off 7lb higher markt at Leopardstown. Yard in form, but is up another 3lb. Wears first time cheekpieces.

Form: 4430-12

(8)

Lightening Fast¹⁵

Age: 3| Weight: 9-4| J: Colin Keane| T: G M Lyons| OR: 82

11/4

Frankel colt placed once from four starts last term. Starts handicap career off a feasible mark though and may do better this time around.

Form: 825-51

(2)

Miss Qatar¹⁹⁰

Age: 3| Weight: 9-3| J: K J Manning| T: J S Bolger| OR: 81

8/1

Won Fairyhouse maiden last term before ended season finishing fourth in decent handciap back at same track. Steps up two furlongs today but should stay and certainly not without hope.

Form: 6414-

(6)

Liberatio^t1¹⁶⁶

Age: 3| Weight: 9-1| J: S Foley| T: M Halford| OR: 79

13/2

Third in two A/W maidens against potentially decent opponents in the autumn. Seasonal reappearance now and might be one for the short list racing with tongue tie for the the first time.

Form: 6633-

(1)

Mr Adjudicator²⁹

Age: 3| Weight: 8-12| J: Gary Carroll| T: J G Murphy| OR: 76

5/1

Dead-heated for Listowel maiden last sunmmer and not disgraced in two susbsequent starts. 10lbs better off with Gino Severini on last year's form so has to enter calculations on that basis.

Form: 816-44

Non-Runners

(4)

Ontheiflist²⁰⁴

Weight: 8-7| Age: 3

T: H Rogers J: Wayne Lordan

Forecasts

Lightening Fast (11/4), Gino Severini (3/1), Mr Adjudicator (5/1), Liberatio (13/2), Elusive Beauty (7/1), Miss Qatar (8/1), Escape Clause (10/1), Ontheiflist (12/1)

A trappy affair in which it may pay to take a chance on Ger Lyons' LIGHTENING FAST who makes his handicap debut after showing some promise in maidens last term. Escape Clause was well regarded last term before disappointing, while Mr Adjudicator is at the right end of the weights and there shouldn't be much between him and Gino Severini on last term's form. Miss Qatar should improve for this longer trip. Elusive Beauty cannot be ruled out of calculations either.