19:15 Galway

Monday 27 July 2020

All16:1016:4017:1517:4518:1518:4519:1519:45

Eventus Handicap (60-90)

Off time: 19:15 | Winning time: 2m 50.78s

(6)

Yulong Pearlisland^p²⁰

Age: 3| Weight: 9-8| J: S Foley| T: Mrs J Harrington| OR: 78| D

11/2

Opened account with slender Roscommon success (1m4f, heavy; 10-3) on handicap bow this month, just doing enough to repel fast-finishing Dazzling Darren. May be more to come and both are in the mix again.

Form: 56-021

(11)

Simply True⁹

Age: 3| Weight: 9-5| J: Ronan Whelan| T: A Oliver| OR: 75

9/1

Twice a winner of 7f handicaps in the mud last year; fair efforts without threatening in two runs back lately having tackled 1m2f; now gets further tax on stamina but others have achieved more.

Form: 0217-65

(7)

Celtic Crown⁷

Age: 3| Weight: 9-4| J: Robbie Colgan| T: J J Murphy| OR: 74

8/1

Improving with each run this season for new trainer and duly landed 1m1½f good-ground apprentice handicap at Ballinrobe a week ago; stamina to prove in what promises to be a tougher examination from new mark.

Form: 5-78921

(3)

Flying Scotsman⁴³

Age: 3| Weight: 9-3| J: Wayne Lordan| T: J P O'Brien| OR: 73

10/3

Struggled last year in maidens for Aidan O'Brien; similar story on return/stable/handicap bow over 7f at Leopardstown last month when never going pace to challenge. Could be a different story now meeting longer trip.

Form: 099-0

(10)

Lilli Milena²⁵

Age: 3| Weight: 9-3| J: O J Orr| T: D K Weld| OR: 73

5/1

Daughter of Dansili improved on third start when taking a Sligo maiden (1m2½f, good; 7-2) at the start of the month; shakes her h'cap upped in distance at a meeting where her maestro-trainer routinely excels.

Form: 5-51

(8)

Varna Gold²²

Age: 3| Weight: 8-13| J: Rory Cleary| T: P J Gilligan| OR: 69

18/1

0-9 now, latest two runs since joining this trainer; improved effort when 50-1 third at Fairyhouse (1m2f, good to yielding) this month and not impossible he'll come forward again for the longer journey today.

Form: 3-89703

(5)

Dazzling Darren^b1²⁰

Age: 3| Weight: 8-12| J: Chris Hayes| T: G P Cromwell| OR: 68| BF| D

9/2

Very likeable; improved up in trip to land hat-trick AW wins in Britain (1m2f/1m4f) for this trainer in February; runner-up in three handicaps at Roscommon lately and margin of those defeats doesn't make a length. First-time blinkers may do trick.

Form: 111222

(9)

Son Of Hypnos¹⁷

Age: 3| Weight: 8-11| J: A J Slattery⁽³⁾| T: M J Smith| OR: 67

50/1

Hasn't achieved anything of great note in three maidens so far, latest when dropped to 1m at the Curragh, goes handicapping with improvement to locate tackling longest trip to date.

Form: 080

(2)

Dark Voyager²⁶

Age: 3| Weight: 8-10| J: Colin Keane| T: W P Mullins| OR: 66

6/1

Bit frustrating in five starts; not tending to find a lot under pressure. Colours more commonly associated with jumpers down the years; has to improve markedly in this line-up.

Form: 0799-9

Non-Runners

(4)

Elizabethofaragon³

Weight: 10-0| Age: 3

T: A P O'Brien J: K K Hennessy

(1)

Alexei Vronsky⁹

Weight: 9-1| Age: 3

T: M O'Callaghan J: L F Roche

Forecasts

Elizabethofaragon (5/2), Flying Scotsman (10/3), Dazzling Darren (9/2), Lilli Milena (5/1), Yulong Pearlisland (11/2), Dark Voyager (6/1), Celtic Crown (8/1), Simply True (9/1), Alexei Vronsky (12/1), Varna Gold (18/1), Son Of Hypnos (50/1)

Lighter on numbers than some but a trappy h'cap no less. Elizabethofaragon is progressing rapidly and has a handy claim to offset her latest penalty while Celtic Crown is another on the upgrade lately. Flying Scotsman might take a leap forward over this trip while handicap debutante Lilli Milena represents a trainer with such a formidable record at this festival. So many possibilities but the vote sits with the remarkably consistent DAZZLING DARREN. He's made real progress upped in trip since joining Gavin Cromwell and his trio of runner-up finishes at Roscommon have been by wafer-thin margins. If the blinkers have an effect, he might fly home to trump this lot.