14:37 Gowran Park

Monday 5 June 2023

All14:0514:3715:0715:3716:0716:3717:07

Sonix Entertainment Handicap

Off time: 14:38 | Winning time: 1m 26.01s

(1)

Affogato³⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 10-0| J: Jack Kearney⁽⁷⁾| T: G M Lyons| OR: 97| C| D

16/1

Course winner. 13 lengths last of 8 to Honey Girl in Athasi Stakes (40/1) at the Curragh (7f, soft) 35 days ago. Yard in good form. Plenty to find on form.

Form: 16660-8

(6)

Final Voyage¹⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 9-9| J: Yudish Geerdharry⁽⁷⁾| T: J P Murtagh| OR: 92| D

7/2

Latest win at Lingfield in April. Creditable seventh of 20 in handicap at the Curragh (8f, good to soft, 16/1) 10 days ago. Stable in good form. Others more persuasive.

Form: 42-2147

(11)

Exquisite Acclaim^p¹⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 9-3| J: Adam Caffrey⁽⁷⁾| T: A McGuinness| OR: 86

22/1

Respectable sixth of 17 in handicap at the Curragh (7f, good to soft, 25/1) 10 days ago. Stable having good spell. Can give a good account without posing serious threat to principals.

Form: 0474-46

(8)

Apricot Twist^t¹⁵

Age: 3| Weight: 9-2| J: Gary Carroll| T: G M Lyons| OR: 95

16/1

Lightly-raced winner. 7¼ lengths twelfth of 15 to The Antarctic in Lacken Stakes (25/1) at Naas (5.9f, good to firm) 15 days ago. Yard in good form. Makes handicap debut.

Form: 1947-0

(3)

Hotrocket⁵⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 9-2| J: Conor Stone-Walsh⁽⁷⁾| T: J P O'Brien| OR: 85| BF| D

9/4

Promising sort. Good fourth of 13 in handicap (3/1) at Cork (7f, heavy) 58 days ago. Expected to be bang there.

Form: 4/212-4

(7)

Spanish Tenor⁴⁴

Age: 9| Weight: 9-0| J: C J MacRedmond⁽⁵⁾| T: A McGuinness| OR: 83| CD

12/1

C&D winner. Twelve runs since last win in 2022. 18/1, creditable third of 14 in handicap at Limerick (8f, soft) 44 days ago, having run of race. Each-way chance.

Form: 400-473

(5)

Red Heel⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 8-13| J: Nathan Crosse| T: W McCreery| OR: 82| CD

6/1

C&D winner. Sixth of 9 in handicap (9/2) at Roscommon (7.2f, good) 4 days ago, folding. Needs a couple of these to falter.

Form: U984-56

(9)

Vocal Studies¹⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 8-12| J: Rory Cleary| T: J S Bolger| OR: 81| D

9/1

Respectable thirteenth of 20 in handicap (14/1) at the Curragh (8f, good to soft) 10 days ago. Enters calculations.

Form: 0-26700

(4)

Big Baby Bull^b,t⁶

Age: 7| Weight: 8-9| J: S D Bowen⁽⁷⁾| T: D Hogan| OR: 78| D

6/1

5/2 and blinkered for 1st time, didn't need to be at best when winning 12-runner claimer at Tipperary (7.5f, good) 6 days ago. Heading back in the right direction recently.

Form: 8-00001

(10)

Benavente¹⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 8-8| J: Chris Hayes| T: R O'Brien| OR: 77| D

20/1

Eleven runs since last win in 2021. Eleventh of 20 in handicap at the Curragh (8f, good to soft, 16/1) 10 days ago.

Form: 7-63220

Non-Runners

(2)

Silken Ladder⁴

Weight: 8-10| Age: 4

T: J G Murphy J: Wayne Lordan

Forecasts

Hotrocket (9/4), Final Voyage (7/2), Big Baby Bull (6/1), Red Heel (6/1), Vocal Studies (9/1), Spanish Tenor (12/1), Affogato (16/1), Apricot Twist (16/1), Silken Ladder (16/1), Benavente (20/1), Exquisite Acclaim (22/1)

The most appealing of these by some way is HOTROCKET, who shaped really well when fourth of 13 on his reappearance at Cork. He remains open to improvement and is probably capable of a good deal better than his current mark implies. Exquisite Acclaim could be the answer for forecast purposes, while recent Tipperary claimer winner Big Baby Bull and Spanish Tenor should both have a part to play.