16:35 Cork

Monday 6 August 2018

All14:0514:3515:0515:3516:0516:3517:10

Irish Stallion Farms EBF Handicap Hurdle (80-109)

Off time: 16:35 | Winning time: 4m 42.50s

Patsio²¹⁷

Age: 10| Weight: 11-12| J: B J Cooper| T: J R Barry| OR: 109

25/1

Chasing towards the end of last year and landed a Limerick handicap in good style on St Stephens Day. Two from 27 over hurdles and not seen over them for over 12-months. Watching brief on return.

Form: 550615-

Shake The Bucket⁷

Age: 11| Weight: 11-12| J: N P Madden| T: N Madden| OR: 109| D

9/1

Genuine and tough sort over both hurdles and the larger obstacles. Last hurdle win came at the 2016 Galway festival off a 3lb lower mark. Place claims.

Form: 228-024

Celebrity Status⁸¹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-8| J: Ricky Doyle⁽⁵⁾| T: C O'Dwyer| OR: 105| BF

25/1

Remains nought from six over hurdles following a disappointing as beaten favourite in a Clonmel handicap hurdle over 2m½f in May. Needs to bounce back but appears doubtful.

Form: 44356-0

Slievenamon^h,t²⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 11-8| J: Sean Flanagan| T: Eric Larkin| OR: 105| CD

16/1

C&D winner here last August off a 10lb lower mark Well held since and appears to need some relief from the handicapper before troubling the judge once again.

Form: 3106P-4

Veneziano Springs^h⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 11-8| J: D J McInerney⁽³⁾| T: T O'Brien| OR: 105

8/1

Poor form in a series of grim performances this season including a 13L defeat at Galway on Tuesday. Plenty to find on recent offerings.

Form: 2F-4025

Fred The Foot^t¹²⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-7| J: J M Moore| T: J C McConnell| OR: 104

4/1

Won a 2m bumper on a British raid landing a Hexham contest in June last year. Things have not gone to plan since suffering a couple of crushing defeats in maiden hurdles. Out of form and hard to fancy.

Form: 27/1755-

Black Label^b¹¹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-6| J: D N Russell| T: A McGuinness| OR: 103

6/1

Won his third hurdle from 22 starts when landing a Limerick 2m4f handicap on good to yielding ground recently. Another bold show expected carrying 6lb extra with notable jockey booking.

Form: 5/0400-1

North Carolina^b1¹¹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-6| J: J S McGarvey| T: J P O'Brien| OR: 108

10/1

Many things tried in four hurdle starts but all have ended in heavy defeats including when sixth of nine beaten 15L at Limerick last month. First time blinkers doubtful to bring about the required amount of progress needed to play a role here.

Form: 502-6

Balinaboola Steel^b¹⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: Danny Mullins| T: G J Power| OR: 102| BF

10/1

Finished third of 14 beaten 1L as beaten favourite in a Wexford 2m4f handicap hurdle last month. Not one to leave out of calculations here.

Form: 0-50F53

Fintara^p,t²⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: P D Kennedy| T: Mrs J Harrington| OR: 102| BF

8/1

Third of 10 beaten 9l as a disappointing beaten favourite in a Killarney 2m4½f handicap chase last month. Market check required for this switch back to hurdles despite being without a win in seven over timber.

Form: 422-123

Whatsinthecorner^t1³¹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: Brian Hayes| T: J J Hanlon| OR: 101| D

16/1

Not unbacked, when disappointing on his last four starts since winning a Downpatrick beginners chase over 2m3½f in May. Others look open to more improvement.

Form: D14F6P

Castle Howard^p¹¹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-3| J: B J Geraghty| T: J P O'Brien| OR: 105| BF

7/1

Promising signs of progress in his last tow starts at Down Royal and Limerick last month. Appears to be the choice of retained jockey and shortlisted here.

Form: 506-34

Frazel Express²⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 11-3| J: E M Roche⁽⁷⁾| T: Peter Fahey| OR: 100

25/1

Lightly raced mare who has been beaten a total of 102L in two seasonal maiden hurdle starts in June and July. Hard to construct much of a case for her here.

Form: 159/5-00

Hey Groovy⁵⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 11-3| J: A McCurtin⁽⁵⁾| T: J M Burke| OR: 100

22/1

Well held and never nearer when finishing down the field in each of her three seasonal starts. Plenty of work to do based on what she has shown so far.

Form: F/3-956

Lady Maram⁵⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 11-2| J: M A Enright| T: J M Burke| OR: 99

20/1

Flickers of promise on her most recent start when finishing fifth of 24 beaten 4¼L in a Punchestown 2m4½f maiden hurdle on good ground in June. Likely to improve and worth considering.

Form: 6034-05

Old Castletown⁴¹⁷

Age: 9| Weight: 11-2| J: Ruby Walsh| T: T M Walsh| OR: 99| D

12/1

Not seen for over 12-months when finishing well down the field on the Flat and over hurdles between April and June. Likely to struggle on return.

Form: 25479/7-

Ashjan⁵¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: A W Short⁽⁵⁾| T: Miss E Doyle| OR: 97| BF

14/1

Disappointing when finishing 43L adrift of the winner as beaten favourite in a Downpatrick handicap hurdle over 2m3f in June. Strong possibilities of bouncing back here if jumping fluently.

Form: F70-337

Captain Cobajay^b1¹¹

Age: 5| Weight: 10-13| J: E T Daly⁽⁷⁾| T: P Nolan| OR: 96

25/1

Well held in four dismal maiden hurdle performances but plenty of promise in his fourth of 16 beaten 9L in a 2m Galway contest on handicap debut in June. Market likely to reveal expectations.

Form: 3-00645

Shadows Return²⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 10-13| J: F J Hayes⁽⁷⁾| T: J J Walsh| OR: 96

16/1

Eye catching run in third at Tipperary over 2m before disappointing once again here last month. Not one to fully trust but place claims in this company.

Form: 0/P45-39

Theatre World¹⁰⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 10-13| J: R Loughran| T: Peter Fahey| OR: 96

10/1

Well held in three maiden hurdle starts before disappointing connections further when finishing down the field in a couple of handicaps in the spring. May find it tough going once again.

Form: 96060-

Wild Sam⁷⁴

Age: 8| Weight: 10-9| J: T Ryan⁽⁷⁾| T: S Ryan| OR: 92

25/1

In good form at the turn of the year but form tailed off a little with a couple of disappointing starts in May. Not to be discounted and can go well returning from a break.

Form: 4233-60

Royal Presenting²²

Age: 5| Weight: 10-7| J: I J McCarthy| T: S K Ryder| OR: 90

33/1

Not much to shout about in a number of disappointing starts over timber including at Gowran Park and Sligo on his first two handicap spins. Will need to improve to figure.

Form: 500-608

Beale Beach¹⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 10-3| J: Katie O'Farrell⁽⁵⁾| T: P Neville| OR: 86

20/1

Plenty to like about his fourth of 12 beaten 6¼L in a Killarney 2m1f handicap hurdle last month. One to consider with conditions to suit.

Form: 9075/P-4

Folly Dat^v1⁶³

Age: 7| Weight: 10-3| J: A Ring⁽³⁾| T: R K Watson| OR: 86

20/1

Without a win in nine starts over hurdles but is beginning to knock on the door highlighted by a couple of promising runs at Downpatrick and Listowel recently.

Form: 30/07-37

Non-Runners

The Golden Punto²⁷

Weight: 10-0| Age: 6

T: T Cummins J: Reserve 1

Qery⁴⁶¹

Weight: 9-11| Age: 6

T: P J Rothwell J: Reserve 2

Forecasts

Fred The Foot (4/1), Black Label (6/1), Castle Howard (7/1), Veneziano Springs (8/1), Fintara (8/1), Shake The Bucket (9/1), Balinaboola Steel (10/1), Theatre World (10/1), North Carolina (10/1), Old Castletown (12/1), Ashjan (14/1), Shadows Return (16/1), Whatsinthecorner (16/1), Slievenamon (16/1), Beale Beach (20/1), Folly Dat (20/1), Lady Maram (20/1), Hey Groovy (22/1), Celebrity Status (25/1), Patsio (25/1), Wild Sam (25/1), Frazel Express (25/1), Qery (25/1), Captain Cobajay (25/1), Royal Presenting (33/1), The Golden Punto (33/1)

SHAKE THE BUCKET has been running in to a little bit of form lately including a fine fourth of 20 at the Galway festival last week and can go close here off a similar mark. Castle Howard was a well beaten favourite last month at Limerick and will be looking to put the record straight here along with Balinaboola Steel who went down by 1L at Wexford last month when failing to justify favouritism. Last time out winner Black Label and Ashjan deserve consideration.