20:00 Down Royal

Friday 28 July 2023

All17:1017:4518:2018:5519:2520:0020:30

Tote Apprentice Handicap

Off time: 20:00 | Winning time: 2m 49.81s

(5)

Cafe Con Leche^p²⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 10-1| J: Danny Gilligan⁽²⁾| T: C Byrnes| OR: 71

4/1

14/1, thirteenth of 18 in minor event at the Curragh (12f, good) 28 days ago. Others make more appeal.

Form: 20/0590

(1)

Galactica^t¹⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 10-0| J: Robert Whearty⁽²⁾| T: G P Cromwell| OR: 70

10/1

Hooded for 1st time, eleventh of 13 in handicap at Dundalk (12f, 20/1) 16 days ago. Tongue strap on 1st time on the Flat. Something to find on form.

Form: 2/00-360

(3)

Pretty Soldier¹⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 9-13| J: C Horgan⁽⁴⁾| T: M Torrens| OR: 69

14/1

Eighth of 14 in novice hurdle (10/1) at Roscommon (15.5f, good to soft) on NH debut 18 days ago, not knocked about. Up in trip. Fair on the Flat, creditable on last Flat outing. Should benefit from return to this sphere.

Form: 25/211-7

(4)

Herculaneum^b¹⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 9-8| J: Sorcha Woods⁽⁴⁾| T: N C Kelly| OR: 64

12/1

16/1 and blinkered for 1st time, creditable third of 8 in handicap at Tramore (12f, good to soft) 17 days ago. Likely to be thereabouts again.

Form: 99897/3

(7)

Intend^h,t⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 9-8| J: Jack Kearney⁽²⁾| T: P Martin| OR: 64

15/2

Tongue strap on for 1st time, respectable ninth of 15 in handicap at Killarney (14.1f, good, 12/1) 9 days ago, very slowly away. Others more persuasive.

Form: 2878-59

(11)

Meritorious¹⁵⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 9-8| J: Mr C McConnell⁽⁴⁾| T: J C McConnell| OR: 64| BF

17/2

Excellent third of 16 in novice hurdle (100/1) at Punchestown (16f, good to soft) 156 days ago, finishing with running left. Off 156 days. Potentially well treated returning to the Flat.

Form: 00004-0

(12)

Thefaithfulindian^h,t¹⁷⁹

Age: 8| Weight: 9-7| J: J Cleary⁽²⁾| T: A A Howard| OR: 63

12/1

Below form eleventh of 22 in handicap hurdle (12/1) at Punchestown (20.3f, heavy) 179 days ago, unable to sustain effort. Off 179 days. Up in trip. Hood back on. Needs to bounce back.

Form: 750/075-

(9)

David Garrick^t²⁶⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 8-12| J: C Geerdharry⁽⁷⁾| T: E & P Harty| OR: 54

3/1

Twelve runs since last win in 2020. 18/1, 3¼ lengths second of 4 to Pied Piper in WKD Hurdle at this course (16.9f, soft), running on. Off 8 months. Up in trip. Mark looks appealing but he's likely to need the run.

Form: 0000/03-

(10)

Blackstone Cliff^h,t¹³

Age: 7| Weight: 8-9| J: Rory Mulligan⁽⁷⁾| T: S Crawley| OR: 51

9/2

First run since leaving T. Gibney when creditable third of 17 in handicap at Navan (10f, soft, 16/1) 13 days ago. Up in trip. Should strip fitter for that and may well get involved if he gets the longer trip.

Form: 30071-3

(2)

Virtual Hug^p,t²⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 8-7| J: A C Persse⁽²⁾| T: C O'Dwyer| OR: 48

16/1

Remains a maiden after 16 Flat runs. Last of 11 in handicap hurdle (28/1) at Bellewstown (20f, good) 20 days ago. Modest on the Flat, respectable on last Flat run. Not completely dismissed.

Form: 6/40-058

Non-Runners

(6)

Court Of Appeal²⁸

Weight: 9-12| Age: 6

T: N G Hynds J: R Donaghue-Leahy

(8)

No Memory⁵²⁰

Weight: 9-4| Age: 9

T: W C O'Brien J: S P Bird

Forecasts

David Garrick (3/1), Cafe Con Leche (4/1), Blackstone Cliff (9/2), Court Of Appeal (13/2), Intend (15/2), No Memory (8/1), Meritorious (17/2), Galactica (10/1), Herculaneum (12/1), Thefaithfulindian (12/1), Pretty Soldier (14/1), Virtual Hug (16/1)

MERITORIOUS returns to the Flat on an appealing mark and he was last seen running well in a novice hurdle at Punchestown, so he could take the beating if tuned up for his first outing in 5 months. Blackstone Cliff is a danger on second outing for his current stable and Pretty Soldier is also of interest back on the level.