17:30 Curragh

Sunday 27 August 2017

All13:3014:0014:3515:1015:4516:2016:5517:30

Irish Stallion Farms EBF Premier Nursery Handicap

Off time: 17:30 | Winning time: 1m 27.44s

(7)

Warm The Voice²³

Age: 2| Weight: 9-7| J: K J Manning| T: B W Duke| OR: 89| D

4/1

Showed good attitude to win 7f heavy-ground maiden at Galway this month on second outing, makes handicap debut now and holds leading claims again despite top weight.

Form: 31

(4)

Masucci⁵⁴

Age: 2| Weight: 9-6| J: Colin Keane| T: G M Lyons| OR: 88| D

3/1

Sired by Zoffany, top-class 6-7f winner, got off the mark second time out in 7f good-ground Gowran Park maiden early last month. Switches to handicaps now after short break and should be in the shake-up.

Form: 31

(8)

Medal Of Honour^t²⁷

Age: 2| Weight: 9-5| J: D O'Brien| T: J P O'Brien| OR: 87| BF

10/1

Cost €340,000 as a yearling and has gained useful experience in maidens ahead of this handicap bow, turned over at odds-on last time at Galway and perhaps best watched on that evidence with some smart prospects in here.

Form: 03224

(5)

Bond Street⁸

Age: 2| Weight: 9-4| J: R L Moore| T: A P O'Brien| OR: 86| BF

9/2

Beaten favourite in three of four maidens so far, becoming a bit frustrating, should have more to offer in time but hard to envisage he'll be accepting any of the lofty entries he is holding in the autumn.

Form: 7535

(6)

Drombeg Dream¹⁹

Age: 2| Weight: 8-13| J: Gary Carroll| T: A Leahy| OR: 81

10/1

Five-race maiden, outclassed in Group 3 here last month over 6f and little better back in maiden at Cork since. Handicap debut now and has his work cut out.

Form: 93274

(1)

Outside Inside¹¹

Age: 2| Weight: 8-13| J: W J Lee| T: W McCreery| OR: 81| BF| D

9/2

Maiden winner at Gowran Park last month (7f, yielding) and since acquitted himself well back over that track and trip on handicap bow when second of six. Yard going well (22% strike rate) and has to be on the shortlist.

Form: 9812

(3)

Bye Bye Brussels¹⁹

Age: 2| Weight: 8-12| J: C O'Donoghue| T: Mrs J Harrington| OR: 80

20/1

Filly ran well here on debut in May (6f, good) but has taken a couple of backwards steps since in maidens, makes handicap debut now and needs to find something extra.

Form: 605

(2)

Raphael⁷⁸

Age: 2| Weight: 8-7| J: Chris Hayes| T: K Prendergast| OR: 75

6/1

Beaten 16L in C&D maiden sporting first-time visor (discarded) here in June, switches to handicaps now off a 78-day break with more called for.

Form: 845

Forecasts

Masucci (3/1), Warm The Voice (4/1), Bond Street (9/2), Outside Inside (9/2), Raphael (6/1), Medal Of Honour (10/1), Drombeg Dream (10/1), Bye Bye Brussels (20/1)

With the prospect of some juice in the ground, it may pay to side with those that have gone well in conditions, WARM THE VOICE created a good impression when scoring second time out at Galway recently and may prove up to defying this opening handicap mark. He showed a nice attitude at Ballybrit and is likely going to have more to offer again. Outside Inside grabbed his maiden win at Gowran Park on yielding ground and has shown he'll be competitive off his handicap mark already while Masucci also got the job done nicely at Gowran in his maiden and is respected, though he'll encounter slower conditions now. Bond Street and Medal Of Honour could be capable of better than they've shown to this point.