15:05 Galway

Saturday 4 August 2018

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

Betway Irish EBF Nursery Handicap (Plus 10)

Off time: 15:05 | Winning time: 1m 29.07s

(2)

Silver Service^t¹³

Age: 2| Weight: 9-1| J: Gary Carroll| T: M Mulvany| OR: 82

7/2

Ran several good races in maidens before scoring at the first attempt in a nursery at the Curragh last month. Stayed the stiff 6f well so should handle the extra furlong here but unproven on soft ground.

Form: 32331

(1)

An Aingeal Dubh^v⁹

Age: 2| Weight: 8-13| J: W J Lee| T: P Twomey| OR: 80| D

7/2

Scored at the fourth time of asking latest when taking a Leopardstown claimer. Stays 1m which will likely help in these testing conditions but no doubt this is a tougher race than the one he won.

Form: 6641

(7)

Andaleep^v1²⁸

Age: 2| Weight: 8-11| J: Sean Davis⁽⁷⁾| T: D K Weld| OR: 78

10/1

Second of his three runs at Leopardstown was promising when third of 14 but disappointed next at Naas. Fitted with a first time visor here and jockey takes 7lb off his back for handicap debut.

Form: 437

(8)

Pulsing Dragon^b⁴⁹

Age: 2| Weight: 8-7| J: Gary Halpin| T: M O'Callaghan| OR: 74

5/1

2¼L fifth to Kestrel Prince at Roscommon in his second start reads well now in receipt of 14lb. Went down by a nose in only subsequent race at Limerick so everything points to him being a major player on handicap debut.

Form: 052

(5)

Urban Light^v¹³

Age: 2| Weight: 8-7| J: S Foley| T: J P Murtagh| OR: 74| BF

7/2

Seemed to handle soft ground in two starts on it which is a bonus here. Switched to a handicap latest when second of five off today's mark in a first time visor which he retains here. Can't be dismissed despite the bigger field.

Form: 4532

(4)

Facethepuckout^t1¹³

Age: 2| Weight: 8-6| J: Wayne Lordan| T: J P O'Brien| OR: 73

7/1

2lb better off with Urban Light here who he was 1¼L behind latest at the Curragh so very closely matched now. First time tongue-tie combined with step up in trip and softer ground clouds the picture.

Form: 0843

(3)

Rinty Maginty²⁹

Age: 2| Weight: 8-4| J: D E Sheehy⁽⁷⁾| T: K Prendergast| OR: 71

8/1

3L eighth to Kestrel Prince on debut and fair efforts in both starts since. Receiving 17lb plus the jockeys 7lb from that rival gives optimism for a turnaround.

Form: 864

Non-Runners

(9)

Kestrel Prince¹⁸

Weight: 9-7| Age: 2

T: G M Lyons J: Colin Keane

(6)

Arabic Channel¹

Weight: 9-0| Age: 2

T: D Hogan J: K J Leonard

Forecasts

Urban Light (7/2), Silver Service (7/2), An Aingeal Dubh (7/2), Pulsing Dragon (5/1), Kestrel Prince (6/1), Facethepuckout (7/1), Rinty Maginty (8/1), Andaleep (10/1), Arabic Channel (10/1)

PULSING DRAGON was beaten just a short head in his latest race and his opening handicap mark looks entirely reasonable so he gets the nod. Very few of these can boast soft ground form so Urban Light's experience in such conditions could prove vital and he has to enter the equation after a decent second last time out. Kestrel Prince has it to do at the weights but he can't be dismissed with improvement still quite likely given he has only raced twice.