16:20 Curragh

Sunday 22 May 2022

All13:4014:1014:4015:1015:4516:2016:5017:20

Irish Stallion Farms European Breeders Fund 'Habitat' Handicap (Premier Handicap)

Off time: 16:21 | Winning time: 1m 12.07s

(3)

Laugh A Minute¹⁶

Age: 7| Weight: 10-0| J: Ronan Whelan| T: A McGuinness| OR: 99| C| D

18/1

Course winner. Latest win here in March. Twenty first of 25 in handicap at Cork (7f, good, 25/1) 16 days ago. Vulnerable to less-exposed types.

Form: 22-6180

(18)

Lustown Baba^p1²⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 9-13| J: Ben Coen| T: J P Murtagh| OR: 98| CD

12/1

C&D winner. Respectable 4 lengths third of 8 to Twilight Spinner in Athasi Stakes at this course (7f, good to soft, 14/1) 20 days ago. Cheekpieces on 1st time. Must improve.

Form: 028-573

(11)

Downforce^b⁴²

Age: 10| Weight: 9-11| J: Nathan Crosse⁽³⁾| T: W McCreery| OR: 96| CD

80/1

C&D winner. Creditable eleventh of 22 in handicap (66/1) at this C&D (good to soft) 42 days ago, missing break.

Form: 9000-90

(14)

Erosandpsyche²⁸⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 9-11| J: W J Lee| T: P Twomey| OR: 96

15/2

12/1, sixth of 7 in minor event at Tipperary (5f, soft). Off 9 months. First run for yard after leaving Kieran Patrick Cotter. Stable having good spell. Makes handicap debut. Worth a market check.

Form: 193186-

(12)

Dream Today^p,t¹⁶

Age: 7| Weight: 9-9| J: C J MacRedmond⁽⁵⁾| T: A McGuinness| OR: 94| D

28/1

Latest win at Dundalk in December. Below form sixteenth of 25 in handicap at Cork (7f, good, 50/1) 16 days ago. Hard to make a case for.

Form: 431-030

(8)

Riot¹⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 9-7| J: Shane Kelly| T: J P Murtagh| OR: 92

22/1

Eleven runs since last win in 2019. Twenty second of 25 in handicap (16/1) at Cork (7f, good) 16 days ago. Something to find on form.

Form: 3357-70

(15)

Moss Tucker^t¹⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 9-6| J: J M Sheridan⁽³⁾| T: K J Condon| OR: 91

10/1

Bit below form tenth of 25 in handicap (16/1) at Cork (7f, good) 16 days ago. Others more persuasive.

Form: 4301-30

(1)

Big Gossey^h²⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 9-5| J: D E Sheehy⁽³⁾| T: C O'Brien| OR: 90| CD

18/1

C&D winner. 11/1, respectable third of 13 in handicap at Naas (5.9f, good to soft) 27 days ago. Stepping back in the right direction.

Form: 716-003

(17)

Hightimeyouwon^b¹⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 9-3| J: Chris Hayes| T: D K Weld| OR: 88| D

22/1

14/1, last of 25 in handicap at Cork (7f, good) 16 days ago. Others make more appeal.

Form: 1423-00

(10)

Shelly Banks^t³¹

Age: 4| Weight: 9-3| J: J A Heffernan| T: E O'Connell| OR: 88| C

16/1

Course winner. Career best when winning 11-runner handicap at Tipperary (5f, soft, 12/1) 31 days ago. Enters calculations.

Form: 6429-81

(2)

Pretty Boy Floyd^b¹⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 9-2| J: Gary Carroll| T: Mrs S Dawson| OR: 87| CD

33/1

C&D winner. 18/1, below form 8¾ lengths thirteenth of 22 to Rough Diamond in handicap at Naas (5.9f, good to soft) 15 days ago. Others preferred.

Form: 20-6440

(16)

Rough Diamond¹⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 9-1| J: S M Crosse| T: E Lynam| OR: 86| CD

6/1

C&D winner. Career best when winning 22-runner handicap (6/1) at Naas (5.9f, good to soft) 15 days ago, keeping on well. Trainer going well. Bold bid expected.

Form: 6047-21

(4)

Additional²⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 9-0| J: Colin Keane| T: S Lynam| OR: 85

9/1

Eleven runs since last win in 2020. First run since leaving Martyn Meade when good second of 13 in handicap at Naas (5.9f, good to soft, 14/1) 27 days ago, running on. Not taken lightly.

Form: 60422-2

(13)

Verhoyen^b²

Age: 7| Weight: 9-7| J: G M Ryan| T: M C Grassick| OR: 85| CD

5/1

3-time C&D winner. Career best when winning 18-runner handicap (17/2) at this course (7f, good to soft) 2 days ago, dominating against far rail. Vulnerable under a penalty.

Form: 00-7091

(5)

Carlton Banks²⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 8-9| J: M P Sheehy⁽³⁾| T: J F Levins| OR: 80| BF| D

10/1

Lightly-raced winner. 5/2, twelfth of 13 in handicap at Naas (5.9f, good to soft) 27 days ago. Remains with potential and can't be completely dismissed.

Form: 021-60

(7)

Mickey The Steel^t¹⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 8-7| J: W Joyce⁽⁷⁾| T: Joseph Murray| OR: 78

22/1

Remains a maiden after 18 Flat runs. Creditable 3¼ lengths fourth of 22 to Rough Diamond in handicap at Naas (5.9f, good to soft, 8/1) 15 days ago. Not discounted.

Form: 622-204

(9)

Midnight Fire^p,t²⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 8-7| J: L F Roche| T: E & P Harty| OR: 78| CD

7/1

1 win from 2 runs this year. 10/3 and cheekpieces on for 1st time, career best when winning 23-runner handicap at this C&D (good to soft) 20 days ago, driven out. Shortlist material.

Form: 0080-31

(6)

Dixie Bluebell²⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 8-7| J: Rory Cleary| T: J S Bolger| OR: 72| BF

40/1

9/2, bit below form fifth of 17 in handicap at this course (7f, good to soft) 20 days ago, unable to sustain effort. Stable in good form. Not easy to make a case for.

Form: 3700-05

Forecasts

Verhoyen (5/1), Rough Diamond (6/1), Midnight Fire (7/1), Erosandpsyche (15/2), Additional (9/1), Moss Tucker (10/1), Carlton Banks (10/1), Lustown Baba (12/1), Shelly Banks (16/1), Big Gossey (18/1), Laugh A Minute (18/1), Mickey The Steel (22/1), Riot (22/1), Hightimeyouwon (22/1), Dream Today (28/1), Pretty Boy Floyd (33/1), Dixie Bluebell (40/1), Downforce (80/1)

SHELLY BANKS was better than ever when scoring at Tipperary a month ago and another step forward could see this 4yo go well again in a fiercely-competitive sprint. Fellow last-time-out winners Rough Diamond and Midnight Fire also make plenty of appeal.