19:45 Galway

Friday 31 July 2020

All16:4517:1517:4518:1518:4519:1519:4520:15

Guinness Galway Blazers Handicap Chase

Off time: 19:45 | Winning time: 5m 48.07s

Portmore Lough¹⁸⁰

Age: 9| Weight: 11-10| J: Gavin Brouder⁽⁷⁾| T: J E Kiely| OR: 131| CD

5/1

Good overall strike-rate (3-9) and was in the process of running well prior to unseating his rider at Leopardstown (2m5f; yielding) in a big handicap chase in February. Not finished out of the placings in any of his three visits to this track.

Form: 72/113U-

Megalomaniac²¹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-9| J: H Morgan⁽⁷⁾| T: H De Bromhead| OR: 130

50/1

Stays this trip but hard to enthuse over off this mark at present (11lb above last winning mark) given the way he has ran the last twice. Drops back marginally in trip from 3m1f to 2m6f which offers some hope.

Form: 11817-7

Tesseract^t³⁶⁴

Age: 9| Weight: 11-8| J: Simon Torrens⁽⁷⁾| T: A A Howard| OR: 129| CD

16/1

C&D winner been off for just under a year after finishing fourth in this race last year. Returns to action off a 1lb lower mark but has fitness to prove. May be vulnerable to improvers but could find something himself for new yard.

Form: P6/5524-

Macgiloney¹⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 11-7| J: S A Mulcahy⁽⁷⁾| T: D Hogan| OR: 128

9/1

Sprung a surprise to turn over odds-on favourite when off the mark at the second attempt over fences at Roscommon (3m1f; good to yielding) earlier this month. Enters handicap company & open to any amount of improvement after just two chase starts.

Form: 41534-1

Mighty Stowaway^b¹⁶²

Age: 9| Weight: 11-7| J: Mr J J Codd| T: G Elliott| OR: 128| D

9/1

Three-time point-to-point winner over the winter, but would need to improve upon the form of his fifth in a Hunters Chase at Thurles (3m1f; soft) in February. Not seen since so has a 162-day absence to defy but has won off a break before.

Form: 412115-

Mr Diablo¹⁶

Age: 11| Weight: 11-7| J: Rachael Blackmore| T: J P Dempsey| OR: 128

40/1

5lb below last winning mark but no obvious signs of a return to form of late. Should strip fitter after being given a pipe opener on the flat when not disgraced in fourth at Killarney (1m6f; good) last time out.

Form: 582/706-

Bay Hill¹²

Age: 9| Weight: 11-5| J: Mark Walsh| T: P Roche| OR: 126

22/1

Only 1lb better off with Reach Up (3rd) after finishing three-lengths behind that rival at Tipperary (2m4f; good to yielding) on handicap chase debut. Far from exposed over fences after just the four starts but plenty more needed.

Form: 11455-4

Cusp Of Carabelli¹¹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-0| J: J J Slevin| T: D M O'Brien| OR: 121

11/1

2-3 over fences but has been running over hurdles more recently and did show much more when narrowly beaten at Gowran Park (3m; good). This is the hardest assignment he has faced since going chasing.

Form: 3331-72

Mindsmadeup²¹

Age: 9| Weight: 11-0| J: R M Power| T: M J Smith| OR: 121

11/2

Benefitted from seven-month break when returning to form back over hurdles at Kilbeggan (3m1f; good to yielding). Been set some stiff tasks over fences of late, but a real chance on his form from last summer. Could run into a place.

Form: 14600-1

Turbo¹⁴

Age: 7| Weight: 11-0| J: Kevin Sexton| T: J R Finn| OR: 121

9/1

Won as he liked when gaining breakthrough chase success to score by 15-lengths at Kilbeggan (2m6f; yielding) recently. That was a significant improvement on previous efforts, and he is open to further progress now handicapping.

Form: 9/U567-1

Static Jack^p³⁷

Age: 9| Weight: 10-11| J: C P McNamara⁽⁵⁾| T: G P Cromwell| OR: 118| C| D

50/1

Tailed off over hurdles at Roscommon (3m1f; good) on first start for eight months and is now on a real retrieval mission as he was pulled-up prior to that over fences in October. Not won over the bigger obstacles for over three years.

Form: P/215P-0

Rewritetherules^h³⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 10-9| J: Mr T Hamilton| T: J J Hanlon| OR: 116| D

11/1

Pulled-up when last seen over fences in the Foxhunters at the Cheltenham Festival. Not disgraced since returning to the track this summer over hurdles, running respectably on both occasions. Return to this trip and fences should suit.

Form: 611P-24

Gunfire Reef⁸

Age: 10| Weight: 10-8| J: Danny Mullins| T: Ms M Mullins| OR: 115| D

5/2

Followed up Tipperary (2m7f; good to yielding) success in emphatic style when taking advantage of his lower hurdles mark to win by an astounding 46-length last week. Returned to fences now and it looks a shrewd move to come here by connections.

Form: 356-311

Reach Up¹²

Age: 7| Weight: 10-5| J: Darragh O'Keeffe| T: J P Ryan| OR: 112

33/1

Mark has been dwindling for some time and he finally showed signs of a return to form when third at Tipperary (2m4f; good to yielding) recently. Could be well-handicapped 9lb below his last winning mark if in similar form. Stamina to prove though.

Form: 494-773

Crazywork De Vassy^t1¹²

Age: 8| Weight: 10-1| J: M M McDonagh⁽⁷⁾| T: M J McDonagh| OR: 108

50/1

Beaten 15-length into third when stepped up to 2m7f for the first time at Tipperary (2m7f; good to yielding) recently. That was a step forward from what was a low-key seasonal return at Killarney (2m5f; yielding). Still has quite a bit to find.

Form: 54/P0-63

Non-Runners

Creadan Grae²¹

Weight: 11-8| Age: 8

T: G Elliott J: D F O'Regan

Ice Cold Soul¹

Weight: 11-3| Age: 10

T: N Meade J: E Walsh

Woodbrook Boy⁶

Weight: 10-8| Age: 6

T: J J Hanlon J: B J Cooper

Forecasts

Gunfire Reef (5/2), Portmore Lough (5/1), Mindsmadeup (11/2), Macgiloney (9/1), Mighty Stowaway (9/1), Turbo (9/1), Cusp Of Carabelli (11/1), Rewritetherules (11/1), Woodbrook Boy (12/1), Ice Cold Soul (14/1), Tesseract (16/1), Creadan Grae (20/1), Bay Hill (22/1), Reach Up (33/1), Mr Diablo (40/1), Megalomaniac (50/1), Crazywork De Vassy (50/1), Static Jack (50/1)

The five-month break Portmore Lough has had since his mishap at Leopardstown is of no concern given he goes well fresh and he rates as a major player, especially since he is 2-3 at this track. It was hard not to be impressed when Turbo bolted up to break his duck over fences recently, and on his handicap debut he must also be considered. On form Macgiloney would have strong claims given there was no fluke about his defeat of Doctor Duffy but his CV suggests he prefers fast ground. Therefore, despite the rise in grade preference is for GUNFIRE REEF who turned his latest victory over hurdles into a procession. He can complete the hat-trick as he returns to fences.