18:10 Sligo

Tuesday 21 August 2018

All17:1017:4018:1018:4019:1019:4020:10

Carlsberg Maiden Hurdle

Off time: 18:11 | Winning time: 5m 0.90s

Kalamkan^t,v²⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: A E Lynch| T: T G McCourt| OR: 95

12/1

Has shown fair form in seven starts over timber, drops back into maiden company and finds a weakish contest. Drop in distance may not be ideal however.

Form: 65-06F5

McCrackens Gate^b1³⁶

Age: 7| Weight: 11-12| J: J M Moore| T: T Gibney| OR: 87

20/1

Very modest efforts so far over hurdles. Eleventh of 13 in handicap hurdle at Killarney (2m4½f, good) last time out, needs new blinkers to have a big effect.

Form: 670-000

Speirling^t²⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: D N Russell| T: P G Kelly

4/7

Promising effort in fourth in Galway novice event last time out, makes clear appeal here after that run and gets stand-out chance to open account.

Form: 0/5-5664

Subset²⁸

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

20/1

Ballinrobe bumper run in May had some merit about it, not as good since in two starts, including at the same venue last month on debut over timber.

Form: 699

Wicket⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 11-6| J: D G Hogan| T: D Hogan| OR: 87

33/1

Has yet to show anything on the Flat or over hurdles and hard to make any kind of case for following latest poor show at Gowran Park last week.

Form: 9-000

Devine Star¹³⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: P D Kennedy| T: J P Ryan

28/1

Lightly-raced, blotted the copybook at Ballinrobe in April when running out at the fourth last (still going ok) and off since. Quirky but might have something under the bonnet.

Form: 087R-

Mollys Boxty²⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: I J McCarthy| T: J G Carr

50/1

Not shown much form in three outings over timber so far and was already in trouble when falling at Galway last time out. Other preferred.

Form: 0-74F

Rain In Spain²⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: Paul Townend| T: C O'Brien| OR: 88

14/1

Produced a tame effort over 2m at Limerick last month but hasn't been devoid of ability in previous starts over timber. Has to bounce back.

Form: 4405P-0

Siamsa Cois Laoi^t¹²

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: A McCurtin⁽⁵⁾| T: D Duggan| OR: 86

25/1

Winner in point-to-point in June, has run three times under rules since (including here this month already) without looking like replicating that sort of form.

Form: 2-31706

Yeats Mardy^t⁴⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: Donagh Meyler| T: E Doyle| OR: 100

10/3

Useful efforts already this summer in maiden hurdles at Limerick and Gowran Park are enough to put her in the picture here at least.

Form: 6-5544

Non-Runners

Varkhann³

Weight: 11-6| Age: 4

T: Barry J Murphy J: Rachael Blackmore

Forecasts

Speirling (4/7), Yeats Mardy (10/3), Varkhann (6/1), Kalamkan (12/1), Rain In Spain (14/1), Subset (20/1), McCrackens Gate (20/1), Siamsa Cois Laoi (25/1), Devine Star (28/1), Wicket (33/1), Mollys Boxty (50/1)

Speirling has gone well enough recently at Roscommon and Galway in this sphere to suggest a win will come his way sooner or later. This is perhaps his best chance to date and he's got to be on any shortlist, though the market is unlikely to miss him. Varkhann shaped better on the Flat at Tramore over the weekend and could have a say if translating that to this discipline while Kalamkan also has a chance if the trip doesn't prove too sharp. YEATS MARDY has run well a couple of times in these contests already and is worth a chance coming back down in trip.