Kilminfoyle House Stud Nursery Handicap

Off time: 17:20 | Winning time: 1m 13.48s

(2)

As It Was^t⁸

Age: 2| Weight: 10-1| J: Wayne Lordan| T: A Oliver| OR: 88| D

6/4

2 wins from 4 runs this year. Latest win at Navan in August. Found things tougher upped in grade when seventh of 11 in minor event at the Curragh (6.3f, heavy, 14/1) 8 days ago, unable to sustain effort.

Form: 1017

(3)

Thunderbear^v1³

Age: 2| Weight: 9-10| J: Luke McAteer⁽³⁾| T: J Davison| OR: 83

5/2

4/1, ran poorly when sixth of 14 in maiden at Dundalk (6f) 3 days ago, merely plugging on. Visor on 1st time. Penultimate runner-up effort on nursery bow was promising so it's too soon to be writing him off.

Form: 235426

(5)

Midnight Toker²⁵

Age: 2| Weight: 9-9| J: Colin Keane| T: G M Lyons| OR: 82| BF

7/2

Lightly-raced maiden. 3/1, creditable 2 lengths third of 8 to reopposing As It Was on nursery debut at Navan (5.8f, good to firm) 25 days ago. Fourth that day has won since and he's fancied to be in the mix.

Form: 33293

(4)

Reinforce³⁷

Age: 2| Weight: 9-7| J: Jamie Powell⁽⁷⁾| T: John O'Donoghue| OR: 80| BF

13/2

Lightly-raced maiden. 10/3, ran poorly when ninth of 10 in nursery at the Curragh (6f, good) 37 days ago. Previous efforts in maidens were promising so certainly not ruled out.

Form: 83339

(1)

Pretty Persuasion^v⁴

Age: 2| Weight: 8-8| J: Nathan Crosse⁽³⁾| T: W McCreery| OR: 67

14/1

Lightly-raced maiden. Ran poorly when ninth of 14 on nursery debut at Naas (5f, good to soft, 8/1) 4 days ago, weakening final 1f. Step forward required.

Form: 4569

Forecasts

As It Was (6/4), Thunderbear (5/2), Midnight Toker (7/2), Reinforce (13/2), Pretty Persuasion (14/1)

Cases can be made for most but the most persuasive one is for MIDNIGHT TOKER. Ger Lyons' charge posted a creditable third to As It Was on handicap debut at Navan last month and he's fancied to go a couple of places better today. Thunderbear was well below his best on all-weather bow at Dundalk on Friday but he heads up the dangers back in nursery company/with more severe headgear enlisted. Reinforce looks best of the rest.