15:35 Down Royal

Saturday 31 October 2020

All12:4013:1513:5014:2515:0015:3516:10

Rainbow Communications Handicap Chase

Off time: 15:37 | Winning time: 6m 43.20s

Frankly All Talk³⁰⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 11-11| J: B Browne⁽³⁾| T: R K Watson| OR: 124| BF

28/1

Below form fifth of 13 in handicap hurdle at Limerick (24f, heavy, 10/3). Off 10 months. Switches from hurdles to chase. Yard won this in 2018.

Form: 51/2F15-

Cuneo^b²⁸

Age: 8| Weight: 11-10| J: C J Orr⁽⁵⁾| T: G Elliott| OR: 123| D

16/1

Useful hurdler. First run since leaving Henry De Bromhead when below form third of 6 in maiden chase (10/3) at Gowran (20f, good) 28 days ago. This his first handicap over fences.

Form: 700-033

Bilbo Bagins²⁴²

Age: 11| Weight: 11-9| J: D F O'Regan| T: A Murray| OR: 122

66/1

Creditable third of 9 in handicap chase at Navan (24f, heavy, 16/1). Off 8 months. Others more persuasive.

Form: 251/803-

Touch Of Oscar³⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 11-9| J: J J Slevin| T: J P O'Brien| OR: 122

11/1

Latest win in chase at Navan in September. Fourth of 6 in novice chase at Clonmel (24f, good, 10/3) 30 days ago. Enters calculations.

Form: 8P-7124

Massey's Wood^t²⁵⁹

Age: 8| Weight: 11-5| J: M J Bolger| T: B Connell| OR: 118| D

12/1

Fairly useful 3m hurdle winner. Below form ninth of 15 in maiden chase at Gowran (20f, heavy, 33/1). First run for yard after leaving Keith Henry Clarke. Makes handicap chase debut.

Form: 517/P59-

The White Volcano⁶³

Age: 8| Weight: 11-5| J: J G Gilligan⁽⁷⁾| T: J Woods| OR: 118| CD

12/1

Cheekpieces on for 1st time, respectable fourth of 10 in novice chase at Wexford (25f, soft, 9/2) 63 days ago. Makes handicap chase debut.

Form: 283P-54

Aasleagh Dawn^p⁴⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 11-1| J: J M Moore| T: G P Cromwell| OR: 114

66/1

Seventeen runs since last win in 2018. Fifth of 6 in minor event chase (10/1) at Sligo (24.7f, good) 47 days ago.

Form: 2-070F5

Coeur Joyeux¹⁸

Age: 9| Weight: 11-1| J: L P Dempsey| T: J P Dempsey| OR: 114

16/1

Unreliable type but well treated on old form and showed he retains ability when third of 7 in handicap chase at Punchestown (24.6f, soft) 18 days ago. Not discounted.

Form: 4867/73

Askann²¹

Age: 8| Weight: 10-13| J: Simon Torrens⁽⁵⁾| T: M Torrens| OR: 112| CD

10/3

Fair 3m hurdle/chase winner. 18/1, good third of 13 in handicap chase at Fairyhouse (21f, soft) on reappearance 21 days ago. Return to 3m in favour.

Form: U1629-3

Paranoid²⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 10-13| J: Jack Kennedy| T: G Elliott| OR: 112

1/1

Made a winning start for Gordon Elliott in 19f Galway handicap hurdle 24 days ago. Races from only 2 lb higher back over fences and highly likely he has more to offer for his new stable.

Form: 3402P-1

Calicojack^t¹⁰⁴

Age: 8| Weight: 10-10| J: Sean Flanagan| T: N Meade| OR: 109| C

22/1

Fairly useful winner at 16f over hurdles. Eleventh of 12 in handicap chase at Tipperary (23.2f, soft, 10/1) 104 days ago.

Form: 3/15P-90

Justmemyselfandi^p,t¹⁷

Age: 9| Weight: 10-10| J: Sean O'Keeffe⁽³⁾| T: Miss E Doyle| OR: 109| D

33/1

Off 23 months, fell first in handicap chase at Punchestown (22f, soft, 20/1) 17 days ago. Very hard to assess at present.

Form: U1207/F

Forecasts

Paranoid (1/1), Askann (10/3), Touch Of Oscar (11/1), Massey's Wood (12/1), The White Volcano (12/1), Cuneo (16/1), Coeur Joyeux (16/1), Calicojack (22/1), Frankly All Talk (28/1), Justmemyselfandi (33/1), Aasleagh Dawn (66/1), Bilbo Bagins (66/1)

PARANOID surely has more to come for new trainer Gordon Elliott and can add to his Galway handicap hurdle success now reverting to fences. Couer Joyeux took a step back in the right direction at Punchestown last time and has handicapping scope if able to build on that, while Askann will be suited by the return to 3m and is also respected on the back of a creditable reappearance.