19:45 Ballinrobe

Tuesday 25 May 2021

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

McHale Mayo National Handicap Chase (Grade B)

Off time: 19:46 | Winning time: 6m 16.5s

Alpha Des Obeaux^b,t²⁴

Age: 11| Weight: 11-10| J: Jordan Gainford⁽⁷⁾| T: Mrs D Foster| OR: 139| BF

33/1

Unreliable type. Sixteen runs since last win in 2018. Sixth of 13 in minor event chase at Punchestown (25f, good to firm, 13/8) 24 days ago. Claims if returning to something close to his best.

Form: PP40C6-

Shady Operator^b¹⁵

Age: 8| Weight: 11-10| J: Mike O'Connor⁽⁷⁾| T: E Bolger| OR: 139

7/2

Career best when winning 15-runner handicap chase (4/1) at Killarney (26f, good) 15 days ago, hard held. Stable in good form and he has to enter calculations.

Form: 9/651F-1

Western Victory¹⁶

Age: 8| Weight: 11-8| J: Shane Fitzgerald⁽⁷⁾| T: D Queally| OR: 137

12/1

Latest win in chase at Clonmel in October. Switches from hurdles to chase. Significantly up in trip for this handicap chase debut.

Form: 13347-2

Castlebrook^t⁵¹

Age: 8| Weight: 11-7| J: Mr D O'Connor| T: J J Mangan| OR: 136

16/1

18¾ lengths fifth of 6 to Waitnsee in Imperial Call Chase at Cork (24f, good to soft, 11/2) 51 days ago. Makes handicap chase debut and others preferred.

Form: 4133/75-

Fitzhenry^b,t²⁷

Age: 9| Weight: 11-3| J: Mark Walsh| T: P Nolan| OR: 132

16/1

Eighteen runs since last win in 2018. Below form tenth of 24 in handicap chase (18/1) at Punchestown (20f, good to soft) 27 days ago, inadequate test. Merits consideration.

Form: 070300-

Popong²⁴

Age: 7| Weight: 11-3| J: Rachael Blackmore| T: H De Bromhead| OR: 132| BF

5/2

4/1, creditable third of 20 in handicap chase at Punchestown (24.6f, good to soft) 24 days ago, finishing with running left. Has good chance on form.

Form: 2142F3-

Auvergnat¹⁵

Age: 11| Weight: 10-13| J: Darragh O'Keeffe| T: E Bolger| OR: 128

40/1

33/1, good 27¼ lengths seventh of 15 to Shady Operator in handicap chase at Killarney (26f, good) 15 days ago. No reason to believe that he'll get any closer to his stablemate here.

Form: P3048-7

Dromore Lad²⁴

Age: 9| Weight: 10-13| J: Danny Mullins| T: J P Ryan| OR: 128| D

14/1

Bit below form eighth of 19 in handicap chase at Punchestown (31f, good to soft, 40/1) 24 days ago. Back down in trip. Booking of Brouder a plus. Tough to assess at present.

Form: PP4268-

Dounikos^p¹⁵

Age: 10| Weight: 10-12| J: B J Cooper| T: Mrs D Foster| OR: 127| D

25/1

20½ lengths fourth of 15 to Shady Operator in handicap chase at Killarney (26f, good, 40/1) 15 days ago. Looks held.

Form: 0P58P-4

Optical Confusion^t²¹

Age: 9| Weight: 10-8| J: J J Slevin| T: M Butler| OR: 123| C

11/2

Career best when winning 14-runner handicap chase at this course (19.5f, soft, 11/2) 21 days ago, cruising clear. Now 12 lb higher, but feared all the same.

Form: 70021-1

Agent Boru²⁴

Age: 10| Weight: 10-3| J: Phillip Enright| T: T Gibney| OR: 118

12/1

28/1, creditable fifth of 20 in handicap chase at Punchestown (24.6f, good to soft) 24 days ago. Yard in good form. One for the shortlist.

Form: 00P625-

The Dabbler⁵²

Age: 8| Weight: 9-12| J: C J Orr⁽³⁾| T: L P Cusack| OR: 111

10/1

Creditable third of 13 in handicap chase (11/1) at Fairyhouse (24.7f, good to soft) 52 days ago. More needed.

Form: 745473-

Definite Soldier^p,t¹¹

Age: 12| Weight: 9-12| J: A W Short| T: J A Kinsella| OR: 109

20/1

Much improved when winning 13-runner handicap chase at Kilbeggan (19.9f, good, 28/1) 11 days ago. 7 lb rise may be enough to anchor him this time.

Form: 84358-1

Non-Runners

Contingency²⁵

Weight: 11-2| Age: 8

T: W P Mullins J: Danny Mullins

Konitho¹⁸⁴

Weight: 10-7| Age: 6

T: J P O'Brien J: J S McGarvey

Forecasts

Popong (5/2), Shady Operator (7/2), Optical Confusion (11/2), The Dabbler (10/1), Konitho (10/1), Agent Boru (12/1), Western Victory (12/1), Contingency (12/1), Dromore Lad (14/1), Castlebrook (16/1), Fitzhenry (16/1), Definite Soldier (20/1), Dounikos (25/1), Alpha Des Obeaux (33/1), Auvergnat (40/1)

A deserved success awaits POPONG, who may well have won had she remained on all fours at Leopardstown on Boxing Day (going well when falling at the last) and she encountered traffic problems at a crucial stage when third at the Punchestown Festival. Shady Operator, who produced much his best effort to date at Killarney 15 days ago, and hat-trick seeker Optical Confusion rate the main dangers.