18:00 Curragh

Sunday 2 July 2023

All13:5014:2515:0015:4016:1516:5017:2518:00

Dubai Duty Free Irish European Breeders Fund 'Ragusa' Handicap (Premier Handicap)

Off time: 18:00 | Winning time: 2m 35.55s

(7)

Dame Rapide³⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 10-0| J: Luke McAteer| T: J M Barrett| OR: 97| C| D

18/1

1 win from 1 run this year. Career best when winning 18-runner handicap (40/1) at this course (14f, good) 35 days ago, responding well. Will require another career best off 5 lb higher.

Form: 42700-1

(15)

Safecracker^h,t¹⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 10-0| J: Ben Coen| T: J P Murtagh| OR: 97| D

15/2

Creditable second of 13 in handicap at Cork (12f, soft, 5/1) 16 days ago. Got to be respected.

Form: 122-572

(3)

Smooth Tom^v³⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 9-11| J: A J Slattery| T: A Slattery| OR: 94| C

6/1

Course winner. Latest win at Leopardstown in May. Very good head second of 15 to Timourid in handicap (7/1) at this course (10f, good) 36 days ago, running on. Can make presence felt.

Form: 14-7812

(16)

Dha Leath^t⁹⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 9-10| J: Gary Carroll| T: G P Cromwell| OR: 93

20/1

Creditable ninth of 27 in handicap at this course (8f, heavy, 14/1). Off 99 days. Significantly back up in trip. Others have achieved more.

Form: 10451-9

(8)

Maze Runner¹⁸⁶

Age: 8| Weight: 9-9| J: Rachael Blackmore| T: W P Mullins| OR: 92| C| D

25/1

Course winner. 8/1, bit below form fifth of 27 in handicap hurdle at Leopardstown (24f, soft), not knocked about. Off 6 months. Down in trip.

Form: 34/1207-

(12)

Old Port¹⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 9-9| J: Adam Caffrey⁽⁵⁾| T: C Byrnes| OR: 92| D

14/1

Six wins from 17 Flat runs. 16/1, first run since leaving David Evans when eleventh of 13 in handicap at Cork (12f, soft) on reappearance 16 days ago. Worth a second look in the betting for his very shrewd yard.

Form: 76144-0

(6)

Golden Twilight^p,t¹⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 9-8| J: Ronan Whelan| T: M Halford & T Collins| OR: 91| C| D

15/2

Course winner. Cheekpieces on for 1st time, creditable fifth of 13 in handicap at Cork (12f, soft, 11/2) 16 days ago. Tongue strap back on.

Form: 261-035

(2)

Zoffman²³⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 9-8| J: Dylan Browne McMonagle| T: N Meade| OR: 91| C| D

14/1

Course winner. 20/1, fourteenth of 20 in handicap at Naas (16.1f, heavy). Off 7 months. Back down in trip.

Form: 421210-

(1)

Laelaps^h³⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 9-5| J: W J Lee| T: A McNamara| OR: 88

14/1

Unreliable type. Twelve runs since last win in 2021. Good 1½ lengths third of 15 to Timourid in handicap (20/1) at this course (10f, good) 36 days ago.

Form: 2408-03

(4)

Timourid^p,t³⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 9-3| J: J M Sheridan| T: P W Flynn| OR: 86| C

12/1

Career best when winning 15-runner handicap (16/1) at this course (10f, good) 36 days ago by head from Smooth Tom, all out.

Form: 84-2201

(9)

Mr Escobar⁸⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 8-11| J: Chris Hayes| T: W P Mullins| OR: 80| BF| D

5/4

Promising type. First run since leaving Joseph Anthony Murray when ninth of 14 in handicap at Lingfield (2m, AW, 7/4) 86 days ago, heavily eased down. Back down in trip. Worth another chance.

Form: 72-19

Non-Runners

(10)

My Mate Mozzie²⁵

Weight: 9-9| Age: 7

T: G P Cromwell J: Conor Stone-Walsh

(5)

Chally Chute⁷³

Weight: 9-7| Age: 5

T: M Halford & T Collins J: J A Powell

(11)

Hell Bent²⁵

Weight: 9-7| Age: 5

T: Mrs J Harrington J: S T McCullagh

(17)

Teed Up²³⁹

Weight: 9-2| Age: 6

T: E Mullins J: Wayne Lordan

(14)

Brazil⁶⁸

Weight: 8-12| Age: 5

T: P Roche J: J A Heffernan

(13)

Boher Road¹⁶

Weight: 8-9| Age: 4

T: J P Fahey J: Rory Cleary

(18)

Wild Dollar³⁶

Weight: 8-8| Age: 5

T: E & P Harty J: L F Roche

Forecasts

Mr Escobar (5/4), Smooth Tom (6/1), Safecracker (15/2), Golden Twilight (15/2), Teed Up (10/1), Chally Chute (10/1), My Mate Mozzie (10/1), Timourid (12/1), Zoffman (14/1), Old Port (14/1), Laelaps (14/1), Hell Bent (16/1), Dame Rapide (18/1), Dha Leath (20/1), Maze Runner (25/1), Brazil (25/1), Boher Road (25/1), Wild Dollar (25/1)

MR ESCOBAR has been given a bit of time since his run at Lingfield over Easter and is well worth another chance to show what he can do for the Willie Mullins yard. The progressive Chally Chute heads the dangers on the back of his good reappearance run at Tipperary. Safecracker also makes the shortlist after his recent Cork second, while Teed Up will also play a part if resuming in the same form as when second in the November Handicap at Doncaster.