17:20 Listowel

Thursday 14 September 2017

All14:0514:4015:1515:5016:2016:5017:2017:50

Ladbrokes Ireland Handicap Hurdle (Grade B)

Off time: 17:20 | Winning time: 4m 18.2s

Swamp Fox^b⁴²

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: Mr J C Barry⁽⁵⁾| T: J G Murphy| OR: 155| CD

11/2

An easy winner over C&D a year ago on heavy ground, progressed nicely this term with two wins from five over timber. Only just denied last time over 2m on yielding ground at Galway and in the mix again despite top weight.

Form: 30-4112

Plinth^b,t²⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 10-11| J: D J McInerney⁽⁷⁾| T: J P O'Brien| OR: 140| D

16/1

Frequent winner over hurdles (9-39), most recently at Tipperary (2m, good) in July. Well beaten in fifth behind Lagostovegas at Killarney last month, has to be considered.

Form: 5-13185

Lagostovegas²⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 10-7| J: Ruby Walsh| T: W P Mullins| OR: 136| D

5/2

Lightly-raced mare, scoring in good style at Killarney last month (2m1f, good) with three of these in behind. A 9lb hike is far from guaranteed to ground her ambitions.

Form: 624-P31

Western Boy²¹

Age: 8| Weight: 10-7| J: J S McGarvey| T: P A Fahy| OR: 136| D

14/1

Winner at the Punchestown Festival in April over 2m (good to yielding) pulled up sole hurdles start since in Galway Hurdle last month. Place claims perhaps.

Form: 9P9/F1-P

Timiyan^t²⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 10-5| J: Mark Walsh| T: G Elliott| OR: 134| CD

8/1

Began the season with back-to-back wins at around this trip at Roscommon and Bellewstown on better ground. Put in his place in the Galway Hurdle and again well held since behind Lagostovegas at Killarney. Has something to find.

Form: 39-1104

Davids Charm^h⁴³

Age: 6| Weight: 9-12| J: Rachael Blackmore| T: J J Walsh| OR: 127| C

6/1

Lightly-raced six-year-old looks progressive this year, albeit over further. Winner at this track in June (2m4f, yielding) and again since at Galway (2m5f, good), goes up another 16lb and must prove credentials over 2m.

Form: 3007-11

Top Othe Ra²⁰

Age: 9| Weight: 9-11| J: Jack Kennedy| T: T Mullins| OR: 126| D

8/1

Won back-to-back races at Ballinrobe and the Galway Festival over this sort of trip before finishing 2¾L second of seven behind Lagostovegas at Killarney 20 days ago. Not out of things.

Form: 0-42112

Boherbuoy⁴⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 9-10| J: M A Enright| T: N Madden| OR: 125| D

14/1

Winner of a maiden hurdle at Sligo (2m½f, good) in July, beaten since at Galway but demands attention now making handicap bow.

Form: 15

Orgilgo Bay^t¹⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 9-10| J: A W Short⁽⁷⁾| T: J C McConnell| OR: 123| CD

16/1

Three-time winner from 15 starts over hurdles, has shown enough in four starts back from near two-year layoff to suggest plenty ability has been retained and could play a big part now back in a handicap. Respected.

Form: PPP/552

Timi Roli¹⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 9-10| J: Danny Mullins| T: W P Mullins| OR: 123

8/1

Won a maiden hurdle over 2m4f at Tipperary in July on good ground, appears to do best when dictating matters up front and hasn't been given that chance in both recent runs. Champion jockey prefers stablemate Lagostovegas.

Form: 321247

The Irregular^p²⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 9-10| J: D G Hogan| T: D Hogan| OR: 115| D

16/1

Defied top weight to win a handicap at Kilbeggan over 2m last month on good to yielding. Not getting any favours in this field on the terms.

Form: 4F3-321

Forecasts

Lagostovegas (5/2), Swamp Fox (11/2), Davids Charm (6/1), Top Othe Ra (8/1), Timi Roli (8/1), Timiyan (8/1), Boherbuoy (14/1), Western Boy (14/1), Orgilgo Bay (16/1), Plinth (16/1), The Irregular (16/1)

Swamp Fox was an easy winner over C&D in similar conditions a year ago and is in great heart, but he must concede lumps of weight here and, in these conditions, that could be decisive. The clear danger is the mare Lagostovegas, who is going great runs since joining the Mullins camp. She's up 9lb herself for a recent Killarney success where she beat TOP OFTHE RA into second spot. In receipt of extra weight now, it might prove worth siding with Jack Kennedy's mount, who rarely runs a bad race and handles soft ground. The improving Davids Charm and Orgilgo Bay are also worth paying attention to in a very open contest.