19:10 Leopardstown

Thursday 17 August 2017

All17:0517:3518:0518:3519:1019:4020:10

Invesco Pension Consultants Desmond Stakes (Group 3)

Off time: 19:11 | Winning time: 1m 43.98s

(1)

Custom Cut¹⁸

Age: 8| Weight: 9-10| J: D Tudhope| T: D O'Meara| OR: 107| CD

12/1

Three-time scorer at Group Two level and ran fine race in defeat last time Pontefract in Listed soft ground mile contest. Won over C&D in May (good to firm) and has also scored twice over track and trip in the likely prevailing ground.

Form: 621782

(8)

Flight Risk³²

Age: 6| Weight: 9-10| J: K J Manning| T: J S Bolger| OR: 112| C| D

16/1

Won a Group Three over 7f (good) here in June on reappearance run. Hasn't really built on that in two runs since (both in pattern races) at the Curragh and yard in enduring a lean spell.

Form: 490-148

(4)

Diamond Fields¹⁰⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 9-7| J: Billy Lee| T: J A Stack| OR: 106

25/1

Group Three winner over 7f (yielding) at Naas on reappearance in April and too bad to be true back there the following month. Off since that flop and not written off stepping back up in distance to the mile.

Form: 2832-16

(6)

Morando⁴⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 9-7| J: Andrea Atzeni| T: R Varian| OR: 113| D

6/4

Made it four wins in six career starts when producing a career-best to land the Listed Midsummer Stakes at Windsor last month on good to soft ground. Held on gamely there in what was a first start for 259 days and might have more to offer.

Form: 41117-1

(7)

Sea Wolf⁴⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 9-7| J: Colin Keane| T: G M Lyons| OR: 108| BF| D

13/2

Winner at the Curragh over this trip in May and only just held back there in July in Listed contest, both run with some give underfoot. Entitled to respect in this field with yard going well.

Form: 010-312

(2)

Alexios Komnenos⁴⁷

Age: 3| Weight: 9-1| J: Chris Hayes| T: J A Stack| OR: 106

6/1

Credible reappearance when close third in Listed Celebration Stakes over a mile at the Curragh last month (good to yielding). May need a bit more to land this but every chance it will be forthcoming on just a fourth racecourse outing.

Form: 12-3

(3)

True Valour⁴⁷

Age: 3| Weight: 9-1| J: P J Smullen| T: J P Murtagh| OR: 108| D

8/1

Beat a couple of these when winning Listed Celebration Stakes over a mile at the Curragh last month (good to yielding). That was a nice display, though this is demanding a career-best effort to follow up.

Form: 2-13381

(9)

Intricately³³

Age: 3| Weight: 8-12| J: Wayne Lordan| T: J P O'Brien| OR: 108

7/1

Last season's Moyglare winner over 7f at the Curragh, she has rather lost her way this term and it's hard to be confident about chances at the moment. She's been running in high-class races, but still needs to bounce back.

Form: 0-40467

(5)

Music Box¹⁴

Age: 3| Weight: 8-12| J: Seamie Heffernan| T: A P O'Brien| OR: 96

10/1

She's been very busy this year already, this will be a 14th run. Landed Listed Galway contest a fortnight ago but this calls for a career-best effort and she is well down the pecking order at Ballydoyle.

Form: 861221

Forecasts

Morando (6/4), Alexios Komnenos (6/1), Sea Wolf (13/2), Intricately (7/1), True Valour (8/1), Music Box (10/1), Custom Cut (12/1), Flight Risk (16/1), Diamond Fields (25/1)

MORANDO has done very little wrong in six starts, winning four of them, and Roger Varian's charge was a game winner last month at Windsor on her reappearance in Listed company. This will be tougher but there's every chance she has got more to offer and she can register a first Group-race success in continuing her progress. Sea Wolf has gone well in both starts this term, winning one and close second since, she's sure to appreciate the ground and represents a trainer in good form. At likely bigger odds, the veteran Custom Cut loves it around here and will handle conditions while True Valour (beat Sea Wolf) and Alexios Komnenos are closely matched on their Curragh meeting recently and can get involved.