17:25 Curragh

Saturday 25 June 2022

All13:2514:0014:3515:0515:4516:2016:5017:25

Dubai Duty Free Handicap

Off time: 17:25 | Winning time: 2m 11.42s

(2)

Team Of Firsts¹⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 10-0| J: Colin Keane| T: G M Lyons| OR: 95| D

14/1

13/2, seventh of 9 in handicap at Cork (12f, good) 17 days ago, not ideally placed. Stable in good form. Others more persuasive.

Form: 541-407

(7)

Ides Of August²³

Age: 4| Weight: 9-13| J: Gary Carroll| T: G M Lyons| OR: 94

22/1

14/1, respectable 5¾ lengths seventh of 12 to Chicago Bear in handicap at Leopardstown (9f, good) 23 days ago. Yard having good spell. Sure to go well.

Form: 5216-07

(12)

Isle Of Sark^t³⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 9-13| J: Jake Coen⁽⁷⁾| T: J P O'Brien| OR: 94

20/1

Seventeenth of 19 in handicap (28/1) at this C&D (good to soft) 35 days ago. Stable in good form. Solid place claims on pick of form.

Form: 5533-20

(1)

Laelaps³⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 9-12| J: S Foley| T: Mrs J Harrington| OR: 93

5/1

Eighteenth of 27 in handicap (25/1) at this course (8f, good to soft) 36 days ago. Back up in trip. Needs a couple of these to falter.

Form: 104-890

(3)

Chicago Bear²³

Age: 4| Weight: 9-9| J: Ben Coen| T: J P Murtagh| OR: 90| C

7/2

Course winner. 2 wins from 4 runs this year. Career best when winning 12-runner handicap at Leopardstown (9f, good, 4/1) 23 days ago, always holding on. Has work to do.

Form: 85-4311

(5)

Crystal Black⁴¹

Age: 4| Weight: 9-8| J: Chris Hayes| T: D K Weld| OR: 89

13/2

Bit below form sixth of 13 in handicap (17/2) at Naas (8f, good to firm) 41 days ago. Back up in trip.

Form: 81963-6

(10)

Catena Zapata^t³⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 9-7| J: Wayne Lordan| T: H De Bromhead| OR: 88

33/1

1 win from 2 runs this year. Latest win at Dundalk in February. 33/1, twenty sixth of 27 in handicap at this course (8f, good to soft) 36 days ago. Back up in trip. Not easy to make a case for.

Form: 5380-10

(8)

Magic Chegaga¹⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 9-5| J: J A Heffernan| T: B Duffy| OR: 86| C| D

9/1

15/2, career best when winning 10-runner handicap at Limerick (8f, good to firm) 14 days ago, just holding on. Back up in trip. Can give a good account without posing serious threat to principals.

Form: 1390-91

(13)

Daylight Come^p,t¹⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 9-4| J: K J Manning| T: J S Bolger| OR: 85| D

11/1

5/1, career best when winning 9-runner handicap at Fairyhouse (13.7f, good to soft) 15 days ago, suited by emphasis on stamina. Back down in trip. Must improve.

Form: 21/0841

(9)

Bay Of Bengal¹⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 8-13| J: W J Lee| T: W McCreery| OR: 80| BF| D

11/4

Promising type. 1 win from 2 runs this year. Winner at Gowran in April. Second of 14 in handicap at Gowran (9.4f, good to soft, 5/1) 19 days ago. Has to be taken seriously.

Form: 12

(4)

Loingseoir³⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 8-10| J: J Cleary⁽⁷⁾| T: M C Grassick| OR: 77| C| D

14/1

Course winner. 25/1, creditable third of 19 in handicap at this C&D (good to soft) 35 days ago.

Form: 218-053

Non-Runners

(11)

Finans Bay²³

Weight: 10-2| Age: 5

T: M Halford J: Ronan Whelan

(6)

Dance Jupiter²⁰

Weight: 9-12| Age: 6

T: J P O'Brien J: Hugh Horgan

Forecasts

Bay Of Bengal (11/4), Chicago Bear (7/2), Laelaps (5/1), Crystal Black (13/2), Magic Chegaga (9/1), Daylight Come (11/1), Dance Jupiter (12/1), Loingseoir (14/1), Team Of Firsts (14/1), Finans Bay (16/1), Isle Of Sark (20/1), Ides Of August (22/1), Catena Zapata (33/1)

Several of these are appealing but none more so than BAY OF BENGAL, who landed a big-field 9.4f Gowran maiden on debut in April and she was a good second to a reliable type pitched into a handicap over the same C&D recently. There should be more to come from this unexposed filly. Finans Bay is respected back in handicap company, while the hat-trick seeking Chicago Bear is also shortlisted, along with recent winners Magic Chegaga and Daylight Come.