15:40 Sligo

Sunday 11 July 2021

All13:5514:3015:0515:4016:1516:5017:25

Sligo Park Hotel Opportunity Handicap Hurdle (80-123)

Off time: 15:50 | Winning time: 4m 22.8s

Goulane Chosen²⁷

Age: 12| Weight: 12-0| J: Mike O'Connor⁽⁴⁾| T: S Spillane| OR: 123| D

10/3

Latest win at Tramore in June. Below form third of 8 in handicap hurdle at Kilbeggan (16f, good, 11/2) 27 days ago. Can give a good account without posing serious threat to principals.

Form: 471-U13

Bear Claws⁹⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 11-2| J: M M McDonagh⁽⁴⁾| T: E McNamara| OR: 111

10/1

Winner at Tramore in August. Fourteenth of 16 in handicap at Gowran (13.7f, soft, 14/1). Switches from Flat to hurdles. Poor on last hurdle outing. Not easy to make a case for.

Form: 5/341P9-

Mr Moondance⁸

Age: 10| Weight: 11-2| J: J B Foley⁽⁴⁾| T: M M McNiff| OR: 111| CD

7/2

C&D winner. Two wins from 5 runs last season. Latest win in hurdle at Downpatrick in June. Eleventh of 15 in handicap hurdle (33/1) at Bellewstown (16.8f, good) 8 days ago, doing too much too soon.

Form: 5110-10

Bachelor^t²³

Age: 6| Weight: 10-9| J: Dylan Johnston⁽⁴⁾| T: N C Kelly| OR: 104

14/1

Respectable eighth of 14 in novice hurdle at Down Royal (20.4f, good, 14/1) 23 days ago. Tongue strap back on. Must improve.

Form: P/8P7-78

Fort William^t⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 10-5| J: Philip Donovan⁽⁴⁾| T: J P Ryan| OR: 100| D

17/2

Winner at Clonmel in May. Twelfth of 15 in handicap hurdle at Bellewstown (24f, good, 66/1) 8 days ago. Back down in trip and tongue strap refitted. Others more persuasive.

Form: P-10000

Turkestan³⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 10-1| J: C A Landers| T: M M McNiff| OR: 100

3/1

Lightly-raced maiden. 12/1, very good second of 14 in handicap hurdle at Kilbeggan (16f, good to soft) 35 days ago. Enters calculations.

Form: 0F0-52

Rule 4

Rule 4 applies to board prices only - deduction 30p in the pound

Rule 4 applies to all bets - deduction 20p in the pound

Non-Runners

Bridge Native⁸

Weight: 11-9| Age: 10

T: Ciaran Murphy J: P J Cawley

Jon Ess²⁷

Weight: 11-9| Age: 7

T: C O'Dwyer J: Shane Fenelon

Dollar Value⁸

Weight: 11-7| Age: 6

T: T G McCourt J: R Deegan

Mon Storm²³

Weight: 11-2| Age: 10

T: V Wilson J: T Joseph Kelly

Melly And Me²³¹

Weight: 10-13| Age: 8

T: N Meade J: E Walsh

Little Brother³¹

Weight: 10-8| Age: 4

T: J Nash J: J P O'Sullivan

Lusis Naturea⁹

Weight: 10-8| Age: 10

T: Paul Traynor J: Shane Fitzgerald

Forecasts

Lusis Naturea (5/2), Turkestan (3/1), Goulane Chosen (10/3), Mr Moondance (7/2), Mon Storm (6/1), Fort William (17/2), Bear Claws (10/1), Little Brother (12/1), Bridge Native (12/1), Bachelor (14/1), Melly And Me (16/1), Dollar Value (16/1), Jon Ess (20/1)

Preference is for TURKESTAN, who showed ability on the Flat for Roger Varian in Britain and he took a sizeable step forward when runner-up on handicap debut in this sphere at Kilbeggan. Bridge Native will be a threat if she puts her best foot forward and Lusis Naturea, a winner at Navan on his latest hurdles start, is also feared with talented apprentice Shane Fitzgerald doing the steering.