Castle Construction NE Mares' Standard Open NH Flat Race

Off time: 15:16 | Winning time: 4m 15.4s

Akilaya

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: Ross Turner⁽⁵⁾| T: O Greenall & J Guerriero

10/1

Newcomer (€25,000, 3yo); half-sister to six winners including useful hurdler/chaser Akilak. Pedigree gives her an edge over a few of these but yard are 0-19 with bumper debutantes in the last five years; would need strong market support to interest.

Form:

Innisfree Spirit²⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: B S Hughes| T: N G Richards

9/4

Attracted support when sent off as a n 11-2 chance on her Wetherby debut, finished fourth but shaped better that the 11½ she was beaten (taken wide, travelled well). Has to turn around the form with Meep Meep Mag but may be able to do so.

Form: 4

Lady Babs²⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: Danny McMenamin⁽⁵⁾| T: A Crook

20/1

Well behind three of these rivals at Wetherby (2m, soft) last time when returning from an 18 month break. Showed some mild ability before the long absence but hard to see her reversing the form with her Wetherby rivals; best watched.

Form: 43-0

Leeswood Lily⁶⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 10-12| J: Sean Quinlan| T: J Candlish

10/1

Showed ability on both her early bumper starts in 2016/17 hitting the frame in her first two starts. Then departed for a spell in Irish point-to-points scoring on her fifth and most recent attempt (October 2019); market support would be revealing.

Form: 8F/63-61

Meep Meep Mag²⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: C O'Farrell| T: D Pipe

4/5

Irish point-to-point winner on her second attempt (fair form) who showed ability on her Rules debut and bettered that first effort last time out at Wetherby. Had three of today's rivals behind her there, most notably Innisfree Spirit; more to come.

Form: 3132

Our Getaway Girl⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: Joe Colliver| T: Micky Hammond

100/1

Raced off the pace and looked to be struggling from early on when sent off a 33-1 chance for her Catterick bumper debut (beat two home). Looks to be one for the longer term judged on that performance; needs to really improve to figure.

Form: 0

Quik Shift²⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: Mr Jack Dinneen⁽⁷⁾| T: D McCain Jnr

40/1

Bred for longer trips that the 2m she made her debut over at Wetherby last time finishing well held behind two of today's principals. Wind surgery prior to initial run; hard to fancy despite the yard's 4-14 record in bumpers here in last five years.

Form: 8

Forecasts

Meep Meep Mag (4/5), Innisfree Spirit (9/4), Leeswood Lily (10/1), Akilaya (10/1), Lady Babs (20/1), Quik Shift (40/1), Our Getaway Girl (100/1)

A modest bumper to end the card but it lacks much depth and it’s hard to see anything disrupting the head-to-head that’s likely to develop between the two Wetherby foes Meep Meep Mag and INNISFREE SPIRIT. The former comes from a stable that do well with their bumper runners but she did have the advantage of experience last time and her trainer, David Pipe has seen his last two bumper runners here beaten at 5-4 and 6-4, neither making the frame. Innisfree Spirit does have some ground to make up on her old rival but that was her first race and with Brian Hughes taking over on board she could well reverse the form. Newcomer Akilaya and Leeswood Lily are expected to battle for the minor berth.