14:30 Galway

Saturday 4 August 2018

All14:0014:3015:0515:3516:1016:4517:2017:55

Betway Maiden

Off time: 14:33 | Winning time: 1m 45.4s

(8)

Not Now Bernard^h²⁹⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 9-12| J: D M Redmond⁽⁵⁾| T: G B Caldwell

100/1

By Dark Angel out of a Spectrum mare. Half-brother to multiple winners Sovereign Debt and Gabriel. Not seen since finishing well down the field on debut at Gowran Park in October and best left on return.

Form: 0-

(7)

Power Of Ten¹⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 9-12| J: D N Curran⁽¹⁰⁾| T: R P McNamara| OR: 35

100/1

Unplaced in 12 consecutive starts since third on debut back in January 2017. Mostly seen sprinting of late but ran one of his better races in lone start over this trip. Still hard to fancy.

Form: 400-500

(13)

Recommendation

Age: 6| Weight: 9-12| J: P B Beggy| T: Miss A Mooney

100/1

18,500gns three-year-old by Dansili is full-brother to a 1m Australian Group Three winner and half-brother to four more winners. Belated debut here and hard to see him featuring.

Form:

(17)

Crimping

Age: 4| Weight: 9-7| J: Rory Cleary| T: D English

50/1

Bargain basement buy at just 1,500gns although she is a daughter of Shamardal and full sister to a French 1m1f winner. Doesn't look one of the more likely debutants to feature.

Form:

(4)

Astronomer⁸⁴

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

5/2

600,000gns yearling by Galileo appeared stable third string on debut at the Curragh but ran a pleasing race staying on for fourth (of nine). Given time since and if handling the step back in distance he could very easily improve enough.

Form: 4

(12)

Emperor Of Fashion⁹⁴

Age: 3| Weight: 9-5| J: O J Orr⁽³⁾| T: J Geoghegan

100/1

Soundly beaten in a pair of 7f maidens in the spring time with him stopping quickly latest at Dundalk. Much improved show needed to play a role here.

Form: 87

(16)

Fridtjof Nansen^b¹⁸

Age: 3| Weight: 9-5| J: Colin Keane| T: J M Oxx| OR: 76

16/1

Not disgraced in first three starts and ran best race to date latest when dropped back to today's 1m distance, only beaten 1L into third at Killarney. Soft ground an unknown but with leading jockey booked he looks likely to go well.

Form: 4-343

(14)

Jassaar

Age: 3| Weight: 9-5| J: Declan McDonogh| T: D K Weld

9/4

Newcomer by Dansili is the first foal out of a Group placed two-year-old. Speedy enough pedigree so somewhat surprising he hasn't run before now. Market best guide with trainer's runners always respected here.

Form:

(18)

Kashid¹¹²

Age: 3| Weight: 9-5| J: J A Heffernan| T: Mrs J Harrington

50/1

Gelding by Elusive Quality was soundly beaten ninth of 11 on debut at Leopardstown. Given time since and has a positive jockey booking but big step up needed and draw far from ideal.

Form: 9

(3)

Midnight Drummer

Age: 3| Weight: 9-5| J: W J Lee| T: D Bunyan & G O'Leary

25/1

€46,000 yearling newcomer by Pivotal is a half-brother to two winners. Positive enough jockey booking so any market support would be notable.

Form:

(10)

Mr Whoppit^t⁶⁷

Age: 3| Weight: 9-5| J: Ronan Whelan| T: P J F Murphy

100/1

Showed moderate level of form in first two starts at Limerick and Sligo before pulling up sharply when last seen at Gowran. Lots of question marks here.

Form: 68P

(5)

Shifted Strategy⁵

Age: 3| Weight: 9-5| J: Chris Hayes| T: J A Stack| OR: 79

5/1

Placed five times in 10 starts to date and showed appreciation for soft ground on several occasions. Obviously pretty exposed at this point but level of form ought to put him firmly in the thick of things once more.

Form: 35-2365

(11)

Spirit Of Big Bang⁷¹

Age: 3| Weight: 9-5| J: S Foley| T: M Halford

8/1

Gelding by Intikhab made a more than satisfactory debut in his only race so far when finishing a 5L fourth of 20 at Leopardstown. Form of that race not worked out great but still looks capable of a good run here.

Form: 4

(6)

Velsen

Age: 3| Weight: 9-5| J: N G McCullagh| T: J M Oxx

25/1

Dubawi newcomer out of a 1m winner from a speedy US family. Trainer takes his time with them so probably the sort who will need this his first run.

Form:

(2)

Freda May

Age: 3| Weight: 9-0| J: R P Downey| T: Mrs P Dobbs

66/1

Fast Company debutant is a sister to a 7f winner and half-sister to two more 7f winners. Trainer one from 31 with three-year-olds over the last five seasons so best watched for now.

Form:

(9)

Grasping At Straws^t1

Age: 3| Weight: 9-0| J: Gary Carroll| T: M Mulvany

20/1

Newcomer by Tough As Nails out of a dam who was successful on the flat and over hurdles. Likely to want further and probably obstacles to show her best form.

Form:

(1)

Quinns Red Rose⁵¹

Age: 3| Weight: 9-0| J: Gary Halpin| T: M O'Callaghan

7/1

Red Jazz filly showed plenty of promise in two starts to date with third placed finishes at both Gowran and Leopardstown. Extra furlong shouldn't be an issue but soft ground a complete unknown so that the question mark.

Form: 33

(15)

Talk Now²¹

Age: 3| Weight: 9-0| J: Sean Davis⁽⁷⁾| T: G Webb| OR: 53

100/1

Finished third a couple of times for Ger Lyons but unplaced in three starts for current yard. Form looks well short of some of these and little scope for improvement.

Form: 373470

Forecasts

Jassaar (9/4), Astronomer (5/2), Shifted Strategy (5/1), Quinns Red Rose (7/1), Spirit Of Big Bang (8/1), Fridtjof Nansen (16/1), Grasping At Straws (20/1), Midnight Drummer (25/1), Velsen (25/1), Kashid (50/1), Crimping (50/1), Freda May (66/1), Mr Whoppit (100/1), Talk Now (100/1), Recommendation (100/1), Not Now Bernard (100/1), Emperor Of Fashion (100/1), Power Of Ten (100/1)

The experienced Shifted Strategy sets the standard here particularly as one of very few who has soft ground form but he usually finds one or two too good and that could well be the case here. Aidan O'Brien's ASTRONOMER gets the nod. This expensive purchase by Galileo ran well on debut and given O'Brien's horses tend to improve significantly for their first run he gets the nod. Also of interest is Fridtjof Nansen who ran his best race to date last time out, that form should put him in the thick of things here.