15:57 Galway

Saturday 24 October 2020

All13:4014:1214:4715:2215:5716:3217:07

W.B. Gavin & Co. Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 15:58 | Winning time: 5m 21.70s

Gran Geste²⁶⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 11-10| J: Simon Torrens⁽⁵⁾| T: Miss E Doyle| OR: 133| C

4/1

Course winner but only nineteenth of 28 in handicap hurdle (12/1) at Leopardstown (24f, soft). Off 8 months but not ruled out if back fully tuned up.

Form: P40/130-

Bothar Dubh^t⁴⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 11-8| J: Sean O'Keeffe⁽³⁾| T: D Queally| OR: 131

12/1

Fourth of 5 in minor event hurdle at this course (21.4f, soft, 18/1) 47 days ago. Plenty to find on form.

Form: 230-064

Mon Lino²³⁰

Age: 8| Weight: 11-0| J: N P Madden| T: P Nolan| OR: 123| C

25/1

C&D winner. Creditable third of 14 in handicap chase at Naas (24f, soft, 20/1). Off 7 months and not dismissed reverted to hurdles.

Form: 7020P3-

Father Ailbe¹³

Age: 5| Weight: 10-8| J: C P McNamara⁽⁵⁾| T: G P Cromwell| OR: 117

9/1

Fairly useful hurdler, but pulled up on last run and only sixteenth of 21 in handicap (33/1) at the Curragh (16f, soft) 13 days ago Others more persuasive.

Form: 34104P-

Impatient Partner²⁷⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 10-7| J: Mark Walsh| T: N Meade| OR: 116| BF

7/2

Good fifth of 10 in handicap hurdle (4/1) at Gowran (20f, heavy). Off 9 months but yard in good form so he enters calculations.

Form: 155/745-

La Feline²²⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 10-7| J: B J Cooper| T: P Nolan| OR: 116| D

13/2

Stiff task when eleventh in Dawn Run Mares' Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham 7 months ago. Back up in trip for her handicap debut so not dismissed.

Form: 70/0210-

Sassy Yet Classy^p²⁵¹

Age: 6| Weight: 10-6| J: D F O'Regan| T: G Elliott| OR: 115

12/1

8/1 and cheekpieces on, career best when winning 12-runner handicap hurdle at Navan (20f, heavy) when last seen on track 8 months ago. Up 8 lb but headgear retained and big player for in-form yard.

Form: 665761-

Agent Boru¹³

Age: 9| Weight: 10-4| J: Darragh O'Keeffe| T: T Gibney| OR: 113

11/2

Fifteen runs since last win in 2018 but (13/2) posted creditable eighth of 14 in handicap hurdle at Limerick (24f, heavy) 13 days ago. Shortlisted.

Form: 0000-68

Moyode Gold^p⁴⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 9-12| J: Rachael Blackmore| T: J Nash| OR: 106

13/2

Eleventh of 14 in handicap hurdle at Ballinrobe (22.2f, good to soft, 16/1) 48 days ago. Needs to bounce back.

Form: 229-560

Le Hachette⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 9-12| J: Gary Noonan⁽⁷⁾| T: J P Ryan| OR: 102| D

16/1

Latest win in hurdle at Ballinrobe in August and very good second of 9 in handicap chase at Ballinrobe (19.4f, soft) 7 days ago. Switches back to hurdles and sure to go well again.

Form: 115052

Non-Runners

Westerner Point¹³

Weight: 11-2| Age: 11

T: E O'Grady J: Phillip Enright

Forecasts

Westerner Point (5/2), Impatient Partner (7/2), Gran Geste (4/1), Agent Boru (11/2), La Feline (13/2), Moyode Gold (13/2), Father Ailbe (9/1), Bothar Dubh (12/1), Sassy Yet Classy (12/1), Le Hachette (16/1), Mon Lino (25/1)

SASSY YET CLASSY signed off for last term with an impressive Navan win and with her yard among the winners she is taken to make a successful return. Agent Boru is on a lengthy losing run but arrives in good form so seems sure to make his presence felt, while course-winner Gran Geste could also have a big say off a handy mark on his seasonal reappearance.