19:55 Leopardstown

Thursday 13 July 2017

All17:5018:2518:5519:2519:5520:3021:00

Irish Stallion Farms EBF 'Nasrullah' Handicap (Premier Handicap)

Off time: 19:55 | Winning time: 2m 9.82s

(12)

Elusive Heights³⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 9-12| J: Colin Keane| T: G M Lyons| OR: 101

5/1

Second over a mile at this track (yielding to soft) on reappearance last month, that was a fair effort after seven months off. Two wins and three placed efforts from eight starts, handles this trip and ground. Yard are close to 21 per-cent strike rate of late (7/34).

Form: B1022-2

(13)

Speed Company^h¹⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 9-11| J: K J Leonard⁽⁵⁾| T: J & S Quinn| OR: 100| D

12/1

All out to score at Ayr last month over 1m2f (good to firm) and will have it all on to score again off a 4lb higher mark. Consistent but this needs career best.

Form: 41-5001

(10)

Tennessee Wildcat¹⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 9-11| J: Gary Carroll| T: G M Lyons| OR: 100| C

20/1

Not the most prolific on turf (2/22) but showed game attitude to get the job done last time out at Gowran Park over this sort of trip and not discounted here.

Form: 2563-91

(8)

Elleval²²

Age: 7| Weight: 9-10| J: O J Orr⁽⁵⁾| T: D Marnane| OR: 99| D

10/1

No win since 2014, a sequence that comprises 33 runs. Not disgraced in the Royal Hunt Cup over a mile last month at Ascot. Steps up in trip for this and may find a few too good.

Form: 803660

(9)

Tandem⁶⁰

Age: 8| Weight: 9-10| J: P J Smullen| T: D K Weld| OR: 99| CD

12/1

Defied 434-day absence to return and record back-to-back 1m4f wins at Tipperary (yielding) and the Curragh (good) in April and May. Down in trip after a short break since and this is much tougher.

Form: 141/0-11

(2)

Jaqen H'ghar^p,t¹³

Age: 4| Weight: 9-8| J: D O'Brien| T: J P O'Brien| OR: 97| C| D

14/1

Evidence of four runs this season suggests Fastnet Rock colt is handicapped to the hilt for now, though did run well at the Curragh in five-runner event in May (1m4f, good). Yard going well.

Form: 41-0298

(7)

Le Vagabond²⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 9-6| J: W J Lee| T: E J O'Grady| OR: 95

10/1

Ran well enough in handicaps at Cork this season, latest being 1¼L fifth of nine behind Moonmeister last month. Toiled over hurdles in between those runs. Will need a career-best effort to take this competitive heat off current mark.

Form: 517-925

(3)

Windsor Beach^p⁴⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 9-5| J: J A Heffernan| T: J P Murtagh| OR: 94| CD

10/3

Made big strides last season, winning three times in handicap company and showed there may still be scope for more when second at the Curragh over 1m in May. Just 1lb higher in the ratings and stays this far.

Form: 2161-82

(4)

Ceol Na Nog¹⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 9-1| J: K J Manning| T: J S Bolger| OR: 90| CD

9/2

Useful filly won four times last year, including 1m2f handicap at Navan off a mark of 90. Competitive in pair of Gowran Park handicaps this season over 1m1½f off current rating but this seems destined to be much tougher.

Form: 7510-33

(5)

The Moore Factor¹⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 8-13| J: Wayne Lordan| T: A J Martin| OR: 88| BF

25/1

One win from nine on the Flat when trained by Dermot Weld, has toiled in three runs over hurdles this year for current yard and hard to be confident.

Form: 454323-

(6)

My Direction¹³

Age: 7| Weight: 8-11| J: Declan McDonogh| T: Miss Ellmarie Holden| OR: 86

9/1

Hasn't been good enough for a few of these rivals on occasions already this season and probably going to find similar tale off current rating. Should have ground to suit for the first time however so improved showing not ruled out.

Form: 219-027

(11)

Castle Guest^t¹¹

Age: 8| Weight: 8-10| J: S Foley| T: M Halford| OR: 85| CD

14/1

Inconsistent type who is very dangerous when at his best but hasn't been showing enough recently to suggest that a revival is likely. Trip and ground both fine if he's feeling like it.

Form: 580-906

Non-Runners

(1)

Tilly's Chilli¹⁹

Weight: 8-4| Age: 3

T: Mrs J Harrington J: T P Madden

Forecasts

Windsor Beach (10/3), Ceol Na Nog (9/2), Elusive Heights (5/1), Tilly's Chilli (8/1), My Direction (9/1), Le Vagabond (10/1), Elleval (10/1), Tandem (12/1), Speed Company (12/1), Jaqen H'ghar (14/1), Castle Guest (14/1), Tennessee Wildcat (20/1), The Moore Factor (25/1)

This looks a wide open contest and it is tough to rule anything out with confidence. ELUSIVE HEIGHTS made a pleasing return over the mile last month and, with his trainer in red-hot form of late and no stamina worries for this trip, he might well prove up to grabbing this prize now on second start. Stablemate Tennessee Wildcat, winner last time out at Gowran Park is by no means out of thing either. Speed Company was all out to hold on at Ayr last time and may be holding place claims now, while Tandem defied a long absence to win twice on his return, though this will surely prove tougher going down in trip against a useful field.