16:35 Galway

Thursday 2 August 2018

All13:4014:1514:5015:2516:0016:3517:1517:50

Guinness Galway Hurdle Handicap (Grade A)

Off time: 16:35 | Winning time: 3m 45.0s

Sharjah²⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-7| J: Mr P W Mullins| T: W P Mullins| OR: 146| D

12/1

Novice winner at Gowran in November and looked booked for Grade 1 honours in December at Leopardstown (fell last). Highly-tried since, third in Tipperary Grade 3 last month. Entitled to claims but big ask off top-weight.

Form: F7846-3

Bedrock^p,t³

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: D F O'Regan| T: I Jardine| OR: 144| D

33/1

Winner over 2m at Musselburgh (good-to-firm) on his penultimate outing. Well held on the AW subsequently and already here this week.

Form: 113413-

Davids Charm^h²¹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-5| J: Rachael Blackmore| T: J J Walsh| OR: 144| C| D

11/2

Handicap hurdle winner on soft ground in December, also won at this meeting last summer over longer trip. Fit from recent work on the Flat, likely to be popular here and claims are clear.

Form: 07/1121-

Good Thyne Tara²⁰

Age: 8| Weight: 11-5| J: Paul Townend| T: W P Mullins| OR: 144| D

12/1

Useful form for Willie Mullins this year, including in graded company. Has won recent starts at Ballinrobe and Cork in straightforward fashion. Climbing the handicap as such, but looks a threat again.

Form: 253-211

Jer's Girl^p1⁹⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: D J McInerney⁽³⁾| T: G P Cromwell| OR: 144| D

20/1

High-class mare over flights at her best, well beaten in two 2018 starts so far, though both were in Grade 1 event. Cheekpieces added here and wouldn't like to rule her out.

Form: F/42257-

Tigris River^t²⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 11-5| J: J S McGarvey| T: J P O'Brien| OR: 144| CD

14/1

Five-time winner over timber, including at this meeting last year over C&D, ran well in Tipperary Grade 3 last month and enters calculations now.

Form: 60P06-5

Don't Touch It^p¹⁶

Age: 8| Weight: 11-4| J: Donagh Meyler| T: Mrs J Harrington| OR: 143| D

50/1

Fairly useful on his day, though it has been a while since he's shown that form. Wide-margin defeat behind some of these at Tipperary last month, beaten since over fences, and facing tough task here.

Form: 46UP-05

Whiskey Sour⁴⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: Danny Mullins| T: W P Mullins| OR: 143| C| D

9/2

Scored twice on the level at this meeting last summer, fortunate Grade 1-winning hurdler at Christmas, though run well in good races since. Again went well on Flat at Royal Ascot last time and much-respected here.

Form: 114342-

Voix Du Reve^h²⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 11-3| J: Katie O'Farrell⁽⁵⁾| T: W P Mullins| OR: 142

12/1

Looked like a very nice prospect back in 2016 but missed most of 2017. Belatedly returned to form with wins at Killarney and Bellewstown lately. Can race keenly sometimes and this is a much tougher prospect.

Form: 9000-11

Le Richebourg¹³⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-1| J: B J Geraghty| T: J P O'Brien| OR: 140| C

12/1

Pair of wins in minor hurdles last summer on good/yielding ground and has been mixing with some smart types since in Graded races without success. Not spotted since poor run in the County Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Form: 116280-

Leoncavallo^b⁸¹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-1| J: Sam Twiston-Davies| T: Dr R D P Newland| OR: 140| D

20/1

Former Triumph Hurdle fifth has clearly had his problems since. In the right hands to rekindle his enthusiasm and blinkered for first time he was an easy winner at Ludlow in May.

Form: P800/6-1

Blazer¹²³

Age: 7| Weight: 11-0| J: Mark Walsh| T: W P Mullins| OR: 139| D

12/1

Boasts some promising hurdles from 2016 after joining this operation from France. Career stalled by absences since, though has shown good form in four starts over fences. Reverts to hurdling off another break. Weighted close to his best.

Form: 4723/14-

Ivanovich Gorbatov^b,t¹⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 11-0| J: J J Slevin| T: J P O'Brien| OR: 139| D

33/1

Won the 2016 Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham but has been an enormous frustration for connections since (winless), hard to fancy despite decent run on the Flat at Killarney last time.

Form: 700P0-0

The Game Changer^t²⁵

Age: 9| Weight: 11-0| J: D N Russell| T: G Elliott| OR: 139| D

25/1

Smart performer over hurdles/fences at his best, no match for some of these at Tipperary last month and readily overlooked here despite better effort since over fences at Limerick.

Form: 785-192

Max Dynamite⁴²

Age: 8| Weight: 10-13| J: Ruby Walsh| T: W P Mullins| OR: 138| D

8/1

Well beaten behind Stradivarius in Gold Cup at Ascot in June. Drops in distance now, appears to be on the wane and plenty of his stablemates appears better placed.

Form: F72/90P-

Monarch^t²⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 10-13| J: N P Madden| T: J P O'Brien| OR: 138| D

33/1

Career-best when winning ten-runner handicap hurdle at Bellewstown last time. Likely improver for Joseph O'Brien in the McManus hoops. One to note.

Form: 215-611

Cartwright^b1¹⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 10-11| J: Jack Kennedy| T: G Elliott| OR: 136| D

10/1

Developed into a useful stayer on the Flat for Sir Mark Prescott and had a good winter for new connections. Blinkers added first-time but appears to have plenty to find.

Form: 21415-

Plinth^b,t²⁸

Age: 8| Weight: 10-10| J: M A Enright| T: J P O'Brien| OR: 135| D

33/1

Outran odds of 40/1 in Tipperary Grade 3 last month, form that would entitle him to some form of a claim in this company.

Form: 587-756

Project Bluebook²⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 10-10| J: B S Hughes| T: J & S Quinn| OR: 135| D

14/1

Sixth in this race last year and is a useful performer over timber and on the Flat, back in this sphere and rated 6lb lower than last year.

Form: 41/6806-

Ted Veale¹⁸⁰

Age: 11| Weight: 10-10| J: E O'Connell| T: A J Martin| OR: 135| C| D

50/1

Winner at Sligo last summer, well held at Leopardstown when last spotted. Not getting any younger and others preferred if getting in (First Reserve).

Form: 0/12006-

Non-Runners

Ancient Sands³³

Weight: 10-13| Age: 10

T: J E Kiely J: Brian Hayes

On The Go Again⁶

Weight: 10-9| Age: 5

T: M Mulvany J: Reserve 2

Top Othe Ra²¹

Weight: 10-8| Age: 10

T: T Mullins J: Reserve 3

Forecasts

Whiskey Sour (9/2), Davids Charm (11/2), Max Dynamite (8/1), Cartwright (10/1), Sharjah (12/1), Blazer (12/1), Le Richebourg (12/1), Good Thyne Tara (12/1), Voix Du Reve (12/1), Project Bluebook (14/1), Tigris River (14/1), Leoncavallo (20/1), Jer's Girl (20/1), On The Go Again (25/1), The Game Changer (25/1), Bedrock (33/1), Ivanovich Gorbatov (33/1), Plinth (33/1), Monarch (33/1), Top Othe Ra (33/1), Ancient Sands (33/1), Ted Veale (50/1), Don't Touch It (50/1)

Tigris River bids to become the first back-to-back winner of this race in 35 years, while owner JP McManus isn't short on ammunition and it is noted that Barry Geraghty opts to partner Le Richebourg. Jer's Girl has been highly-tried in two Grade 1 races this year and is interesting tried in a handicap while Monarch is a potential improver. Whiskey Sour knows his way around Ballybrit and has been very consistent over timber, he may be the pick of the Mullins team, ahead of Good Thyne Tara. LEONCAVALLO was good enough to finish fifth in a Triumph Hurdle and, following an easy success at Ludlow in May could land this for a shrewd British yard.