16:15 Cork

Saturday 8 August 2020

All14:0014:3015:0515:4016:1516:5017:2517:55

Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Handicap

Off time: 16:16 | Winning time: 1m 24.02s

(9)

French Rain²⁰

Age: 3| Weight: 9-10| J: Sam Ewing⁽¹⁰⁾| T: G M Lyons| OR: 89

6/1

Debut 6f winner last year. Not disgraced in a Group 3 at Leopardstown in June (reappearance), the only time she has raced away from the Curragh until now. Still a bit to prove over this far, and was held from this mark last time.

Form: 195-75

(4)

Pearls Galore²²

Age: 3| Weight: 9-8| J: W J Lee| T: P Twomey| OR: 87| D

10/3

Improving filly who won a Limerick fillies' maiden (7f, good) last month, on her debut for this trainer. Initial mark looks stiff based purely on that run, but she can't be written off given her improving profile.

Form: 66-1

(16)

Stormy Belle^t⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 9-8| J: Declan McDonogh| T: P A Fahy| OR: 81| CD

10/1

Exposed mare who has won five times, but not in 13 starts since the spring of last year. Has scored over this C&D but needs to be much more competitive than she was from this mark last time out.

Form: 84-0768

(17)

Galtee Mist¹¹

Age: 4| Weight: 9-7| J: Paddy Harnett⁽⁷⁾| T: J G Murphy| OR: 80| D

10/1

Dual 7f winner last year on good/yld-soft ground. 8lb higher here than her handicap success, Has shown she can be competitive from this mark, but more needed to win again.

Form: 700-639

(13)

Mary Salome^p,t⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 9-7| J: Luke McAteer⁽⁷⁾| T: A Kinirons| OR: 80| C| D

20/1

Dual 6½f winner (on good/soft ground) but is another in this field than who hasn't won since spring 2019. Went very close from today's mark at Killarney last month, and if she can put a lack lustre effort behind her, she could go close.

Form: 0-09420

(3)

Lady Scathach^v¹²

Age: 5| Weight: 9-5| J: D E Sheehy⁽⁵⁾| T: T G McCourt| OR: 78| BF| D

14/1

Multiple winner over 7f-1m, the most recent coming on her penultimate start at Leopardstown (7f, good) last month. Well held from a lower mark than this last time, however, so has a fair bit to prove here.

Form: 203110

(8)

Maud Gonne Spirit³¹

Age: 3| Weight: 9-5| J: S Foley| T: Mrs J Harrington| OR: 84| D

7/2

Made a promising start at Roscommon and improved to break her duck at Gowran Park (7f, soft/heavy) last time, in a fillies' maiden. Initial mark stiff enough, but should be more improvement to come, so can't rule out a repeat win.

Form: 31

(14)

She's A Babe^b¹²

Age: 4| Weight: 9-5| J: S M Crosse| T: A Fogarty| OR: 78| D

33/1

Won over 5f (soft) on her second start in France in 2018. Hasn't won since then, but handicapper is beginning to give her a chance. Now has to prove she can take it.

Form: 359308

(20)

Visionara^h¹²

Age: 4| Weight: 9-4| J: G M Ryan⁽³⁾| T: Miss A Mooney| OR: 77| D

18/1

Sole win came on the AW when with Simon Crisford. Has been competitive in handicaps both on turf and AW, including last time, but needs to raise the bar to be winning for the first time on turf.

Form: 433-253

(15)

Laurel Wreath¹⁷

Age: 3| Weight: 9-1| J: Rory Cleary| T: B Nolan| OR: 80

40/1

Improved to win a Navan fillies' maiden (5½f, yld/soft) on her third start around a month ago. Well held at 100-1 in a Naas Group 3 last time, but not ruled out now back at this level and up again in trip.

Form: 8218

(18)

Miacomet⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 9-0| J: Shane Kelly⁽³⁾| T: J Davison| OR: 73| C

20/1

Dual winner over 5f/6f, both on soft ground. Has largely been out of sorts so far this season, though her best effort came when a close second from today's mark at Navan last month. Not written off, but needs to be better than her last two starts.

Form: 8-00250

(6)

Powersville¹³

Age: 5| Weight: 9-0| J: J M Sheridan⁽⁵⁾| T: T Mullins| OR: 73

18/1

Multiple sprint winner, though all have been over 6f or shorter. Capable of being very competitive from this mark over those shorter distances, but hard to see her being good enough here on grounds of stamina.

Form: 9-32194

(19)

Line Judge⁴⁵

Age: 3| Weight: 8-11| J: E Greatrex| T: J P O'Brien| OR: 76

20/1

Put up easily her best effort in four starts when a short head second in the third of them, in a Gowran Park fillies' maiden (7f, good) in June. Well held back over 1m last time, but she has a reasonably fair initial mark here and could go well.

Form: 3526

(1)

Hieroglyphic^t⁴²

Age: 3| Weight: 8-10| J: Ronan Whelan| T: M Halford| OR: 75| D

18/1

Won a Dundalk maiden (7f, AW) last December. Has been held in both turf handicaps she has contested so far. Still arguably unexposed, but needs improvement to win here.

Form: 221-06

(10)

Princess Xena⁵⁰

Age: 3| Weight: 8-9| J: James J Doyle| T: Mrs P Dobbs| OR: 74

125/1

Showed some promise on her second start in a Naas fillies' maiden (6f, good) last year, but well below that level in two starts since.

Form: 656-0

(2)

Abeona⁸

Age: 3| Weight: 8-8| J: Reserve 1| T: G M Lyons| OR: 73

12/1

Placed in three of her five starts, including in a Leopardstown apprentice race last time (1m, good). That was an improvement, and she is on a handy mark for this handicap debut if she gets a run.

Form: 3-0533

Non-Runners

(12)

Music To My Ears²⁰

Weight: 10-0| Age: 3

T: J P O'Brien J: Wayne Lordan

(11)

Rocket Science¹¹

Weight: 9-7| Age: 3

T: Mrs J Harrington J: C P Hoban

(5)

Bestrella¹⁹

Weight: 8-13| Age: 3

T: J P Murtagh J: Ben Coen

(7)

Jazz And Blues⁵⁰

Weight: 8-7| Age: 4

T: J Barcoe J: Reserve 2

Forecasts

Pearls Galore (10/3), Maud Gonne Spirit (7/2), Music To My Ears (9/2), French Rain (6/1), Bestrella (6/1), Rocket Science (7/1), Stormy Belle (10/1), Galtee Mist (10/1), Abeona (12/1), Lady Scathach (14/1), Powersville (18/1), Hieroglyphic (18/1), Visionara (18/1), Miacomet (20/1), Line Judge (20/1), Mary Salome (20/1), She's A Babe (33/1), Laurel Wreath (40/1), Jazz And Blues (100/1), Princess Xena (125/1)

Not a huge number of obvious contenders here and the suggestion is BESTRELLA, who is proven over the trip, stays further and shaped up well on her handicap debut last time. The Joseph O'Brien pairing Music To My Ears and Line Judge can both have cases made, while Jessie Harrington's duo Maud Gonne Spirit and Rocket Science are two others with claims. Mary Salome is another not ruled out.