17:25 Naas

Sunday 25 March 2018

All13:5514:3015:0515:4016:1516:5017:25

Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden (Plus 10)

Off time: 17:26 | Winning time: 1m 52.1s

(1)

Bobby Boy^h1

Age: 3| Weight: 9-5| J: Colin Keane| T: G M Lyons

4/1

Big Bad Bob gelding who cost €42,000 as a yearling. Related to a few winners, though generally over shorter trips than this.

Form:

(11)

Caffe Macchiato²⁶⁷

Age: 3| Weight: 9-5| J: S Foley| T: A Keatley

7/2

Progressed a little between his two runs in maidens last season and potentially the type to improve as a three-year-old, with the winners of both of his races so far going on to be Group-class.

Form: 35-

(6)

Callanach

Age: 3| Weight: 9-5| J: Rory Cleary| T: B W Duke

40/1

Vocalised gelding who has a pedigree it's fairly tough to get excited about. Best watched unless a massive amount of money comes for him.

Form:

(13)

Chaparral Dream^h³⁷

Age: 3| Weight: 9-5| J: Ronan Whelan| T: A McGuinness

40/1

Makes his turf debut here having run well on the second of his two runs at Dundalk last month, though this is likely to be a deeper maiden.

Form: 83

(10)

Escapability¹⁵¹

Age: 3| Weight: 9-5| J: C O'Donoghue| T: Mrs J Harrington

20/1

A never-nearer sixth on debut at Navan in October and has since joined this yard. Needs to step up on that first effort to get involved in this.

Form: 6-

(4)

Full Moon¹⁴⁸

Age: 3| Weight: 9-5| J: D O'Brien| T: A P O'Brien

5/4

Ran well in two maidens last season without getting off the mark, including at this course over 6f. Up in trip again now and is the one to beat, given how well this yard's horses usually progress.

Form: 34-

(7)

King D'Argent

Age: 3| Weight: 9-5| J: Gary Carroll| T: G M Lyons

25/1

Kendargent gelding who cost €32,000 as a gelding. This is a good starting point but looks the yard's second string on jockey bookings.

Form:

(9)

Playa Blanca¹⁵⁴

Age: 3| Weight: 9-5| J: N G McCullagh| T: J P Murtagh

50/1

Down the field in two soft/heavy ground maidens over 1m so far and therefore tough to build a case for in this.

Form: 09-

(5)

Valkenburg^v1²¹⁰

Age: 3| Weight: 9-5| J: W J Lee| T: W McCreery

33/1

Sent off an unfancied 33/1 on debut last August at the Curragh, which is unusual for horses in this ownership, and tries again here in a first-time visor.

Form: 0-

(8)

Zayriyan

Age: 3| Weight: 9-5| J: D A McCormack⁽⁵⁾| T: D K Weld

33/1

Sharmadal gelding with a pedigree that suggests he'll improve for further in time. Is also the stable's second string by the look of the jockey bookings.

Form:

(12)

Birth Of Venus¹⁷⁷

Age: 3| Weight: 9-0| J: Wayne Lordan| T: H De Bromhead

50/1

Much better on her second start, which came at Dundalk in September. Minor claims if building on that but the return to soft ground is a small concern.

Form: 06-

(3)

Fiannaiocht²⁶⁴

Age: 3| Weight: 9-0| J: K J Manning| T: J S Bolger

14/1

Not disgraced on debut at Gowran in July, when shaping as if this step up in trip may encourage some improvement. This could be very different ground, however.

Form: 6-

(14)

Timiniya

Age: 3| Weight: 9-0| J: Chris Hayes| T: D K Weld

12/1

Footstepsinthesand filly and a half-sister to a couple of winners. Represents top connections and a market check is needed on debut.

Form:

(2)

Wichita Line¹⁴⁰

Age: 3| Weight: 9-0| J: Declan McDonogh| T: M Mulvany

14/1

Much better when stepped up to this trip at this course last time having beaten only one home on debut over 6f. Another step forward may see her finish close.

Form: 03-

(15)

Windsor Diamond³⁷

Age: 3| Weight: 9-0| J: A C Persse⁽¹⁰⁾| T: J Barcoe

66/1

Has shown signs of inexperience on both of her starts so far (including C&D) and finished down the field each time. Needs to put in a more professional performance here.

Form: 7-7

Non-Runners

(16)

Rawaan¹⁵⁴

Weight: 9-0| Age: 3

T: M O'Callaghan J: L F Roche

Forecasts

Full Moon (5/4), Caffe Macchiato (7/2), Bobby Boy (4/1), Rawaan (7/1), Timiniya (12/1), Fiannaiocht (14/1), Wichita Line (14/1), Escapability (20/1), King D'Argent (25/1), Valkenburg (33/1), Zayriyan (33/1), Callanach (40/1), Chaparral Dream (40/1), Playa Blanca (50/1), Birth Of Venus (50/1), Windsor Diamond (66/1)

A few of these could make up into nice horses in time, but given the way Aidan O'Brien's horses tend to progress FULL MOON can get off the mark at the third time of asking. He ran two very nice races in defeat last year and looks a prime contender for O'Brien to win this for the second year in a row. Another trainer with a good record in this race is Dermot Weld, and his Timiniya makes some appeal on debut, while Wichita Line would have a say if taking another step forwards following a fine showing here last time out.