16:15 Leopardstown

Thursday 3 June 2021

All13:2013:5514:3015:0515:4016:1516:5017:20

RACE Academy Apprentice Handicap (50-85)

Off time: 16:15 | Winning time: 2m 48.85s

(1)

Ebony Maw⁴⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 10-2| J: Sam Ewing| T: G M Lyons| OR: 82

11/2

Creditable second of 11 in handicap (4/1) at Limerick (11.3f, good) 40 days ago, running on. Yard in good form and another bold show likely.

Form: 7/315-92

(10)

No Say Ever²⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 10-2| J: Ms N A Kane⁽⁴⁾| T: Miss A Mooney| OR: 82| C

15/8

Career best when winning 9-runner handicap at this course (12f, good to soft, 7/1) 20 days ago, keeping on well. Looks competitive on form.

Form: 32145-1

(8)

Getback In Paris²⁵

Age: 8| Weight: 10-1| J: Luke McAteer| T: John F O'Neill| OR: 81

80/1

150/1, pulled up in novice hurdle at Killarney (17f, good to soft) 25 days ago. Up in trip. Poor on last Flat outing.

Form: 123750/

(6)

Blue Shadow¹⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 9-10| J: C J McGovern| T: A Oliver| OR: 76

7/1

Creditable second of 9 in handicap at Sligo (10.6f, good to soft, 11/2) 16 days ago, no match for winner. Back up in trip and couldn't rule out.

Form: 313-562

(7)

Lady Dahlia³⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 9-10| J: Dylan Browne McMonagle| T: J P O'Brien| OR: 76| BF

13/2

85/40, tenth of 12 in handicap at Navan (13f, good to soft) 39 days ago, finding little. Bit to prove on the back of that, but certainly not one to write off just yet.

Form: 22031-0

(2)

Morph Speed⁴¹

Age: 5| Weight: 9-5| J: Scott McCullagh| T: R O'Brien| OR: 71| BF

7/2

Latest win at Tipperary in April. Creditable third of 15 in handicap (13/8) at Cork (10.2f, good to firm) 41 days ago, not ideally placed. Up in trip and he's shortlist material.

Form: 75-0313

(3)

Hook Head^p¹¹

Age: 4| Weight: 9-3| J: W T Byrne⁽⁴⁾| T: J S Bolger| OR: 69| D

5/1

Winner at Navan in April. 16/1, eleventh of 16 in handicap at the Curragh (16f, heavy) 11 days ago. Can give a good account without posing serious threat to principals.

Form: 00-7150

(4)

Twentybore^b²⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 8-10| J: J M Sheridan| T: E Griffin| OR: 62

80/1

Lightly-raced maiden on Flat. Blinkered for 1st time, seventeenth of 23 in handicap (80/1) at this course (12f, good to soft) 20 days ago.

Form: 7780

(9)

Mokhles^h²¹

Age: 6| Weight: 8-6| J: Annalise Cullen⁽⁴⁾| T: A McCann| OR: 55

100/1

Unseated rider in minor event hurdle at Clonmel (16.7f, good, 150/1) 21 days ago. Hood on for 1st time in this code. Poor on last Flat outing.

Form: 25/0800-

Non-Runners

(5)

Hamley³

Weight: 10-0| Age: 8

T: Peter Fahey J: Jamie Powell

Forecasts

No Say Ever (15/8), Morph Speed (7/2), Hook Head (5/1), Ebony Maw (11/2), Lady Dahlia (13/2), Blue Shadow (7/1), Hamley (14/1), Twentybore (80/1), Getback In Paris (80/1), Mokhles (100/1)

Moving up in trip here promises to suit MORPH SPEED, who did well to finish as close as he did when third over 10.2f at Cork given that he was drawn wide and, moreover, the fact that he was very slow off the blocks. Ebony Maw is next on the list following his Limerick near miss, for which he has been nudged up just 1 lb. No Say Ever, a winner here last time, and Blue Shadow are others to consider.