13:40 Galway

Thursday 2 August 2018

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

Guinness Beginners Chase

Off time: 13:41 | Winning time: 5m 43.70s

Aeglos²⁶⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: Mark Walsh| T: J P O'Brien

7/1

Lightly-raced dual winner of a bumper and a maiden hurdle, has scope to make into a decent chaser and one worth paying attention to on seasonal return / chase bow.

Form: 717/133-

Ah Littleluck^t²⁷

Age: 8| Weight: 11-12| J: J M Moore| T: T Gibney

5/1

131-rated hurdler and performed well in Grade 3 at Aintree in the spring. Runner-up on chase bow at Wexford last month and that effort bodes well. Player.

Form: 08130-2

Big Bad Brian^t¹¹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-12| J: M A Enright| T: D Hogan

25/1

Lightly raced gelding who was second of 11 beaten over 8L when not unbacked in a Downpatrick beginners contest following a lay-off in June. Jumping rather let him down since at Tipperary and more needed now.

Form: 231/P-25

Bishops Quarter⁵¹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: A W Short⁽⁵⁾| T: P G Kelly

50/1

Won a point-to-point in April 2017 but only raced twice under rules since, beaten more than 30L on chase bow at Roscommon in June. Improvement needed.

Form: 61/44

Caltex^p¹⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: Jack Kennedy| T: G Elliott

9/1

Lightly-raced Network gelding, won a maiden hurdle at Limerick in March over this sort of trip on testing ground. Not disgraced back there last month on chase bow when finishing fourth but certainly must find more.

Form: 2216-04

Double Portrait^p⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: R T Dunne| T: S J Mahon

33/1

Bumper winner on good ground in April last year. Fair form over hurdles in recent times before third of seven on chase bow at Wexford, must improve on that.

Form: 5-75583

Hugo 'n Taz^t¹⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 11-12| J: D G Hogan| T: D Hogan| OR: 112

14/1

0-5 so far over fences, has won a Ballinrobe maiden hurdle in May over similar trip to this. Reverts to chasing again now, best efforts have come with cut in the ground.

Form: 332-214

Its All Guesswork^t²⁷⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: D N Russell| T: G Elliott

11/2

Winner of a weak Bellewstown maiden hurdle in July but modest thereafter in that sphere. Returns from 279-day absence making chase debut for top trainer. Mark a likely guide.

Form: 2/21334-

Lisnagreggan²⁰

Age: 9| Weight: 11-12| J: J B Kane⁽⁵⁾| T: S Millar

100/1

Has appeared genuine and tough in a number of point-to-point contests recently, though doesn't disguise the fact that previous form under rules simply isn't good enough to be winning this.

Form: P53-224

Minella Beau⁹⁶

Age: 7| Weight: 11-12| J: Ruby Walsh| T: W P Mullins| C

6/4

Maiden hurdle winner at this meeting a year ago over shorter trip, achieved 130-rating in that sphere without winning again. Makes chase bow, representing Mullins/Walsh axis and needs a second look on that basis alone.

Form: 122230-

Nikodam^t⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: Donagh Meyler| T: S J Mahon

66/1

Winner in France but has failed to finish in five of his eight seven starts. Impossible to trust and others make more appeal in any case.

Form: FFP-P08

Round Tower^h,t¹¹

Age: 9| Weight: 11-12| J: Robbie Colgan| T: K Thornton| OR: 118

25/1

Without a win after 12 starts over fences, though has shown some decent form at times. Runner-up Tipperary last time on good ground, handles this longer trip and cannot be ruled out.

Form: 057-332

Schmidt²⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: Rachael Blackmore| T: H De Bromhead

10/1

Has shown real improvement over hurdles of late and won an eight-runner handicap hurdle at Tramore in June, before finding only one too good at Limerick on chasing bow since. Up in trip and likely sort.

Form: 476-312

Vodka Society⁵⁰

Age: 10| Weight: 11-12| J: Killian Moore| T: D P Dunne

100/1

Big prices and wide-margin defeats all starts under rules so far, twice over these obstacles. Would be an enormous surprise if he's able to land a blow now.

Form: 0809P-6

Forecasts

Minella Beau (6/4), Ah Littleluck (5/1), Its All Guesswork (11/2), Aeglos (7/1), Caltex (9/1), Schmidt (10/1), Hugo 'n Taz (14/1), Round Tower (25/1), Big Bad Brian (25/1), Double Portrait (33/1), Bishops Quarter (50/1), Nikodam (66/1), Vodka Society (100/1), Lisnagreggan (100/1)

Minella Beau will be one to pay attention to for the champion handler and should have a future in this sphere but others have experience and might be preferable for now, a sentiment that also attaches to Aeglos. Ah Littleluck made a good start over fences at Wexford recently and ought to build on it, with Round Tower also posting an improved effort at Tipperary last time and deemed likely to shed the maiden tag somewhere soon. SCHMIDT is lightly-raced and was improver over timber before finishing second on his first attempt at this discipline at Limerick. Henry De Bromhead's charge looks to have plenty scope for better.