18:40 Galway

Monday 31 July 2023

All17:1017:4018:1018:4019:1519:5020:20

Connacht Hotel (Q.R.) Handicap (70-100)

Off time: 18:43 | Winning time: 3m 58.44s

(4)

Hms Seahorse⁷⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 12-2| J: Mr E P O'Brien⁽⁵⁾| T: P Nolan| OR: 98

10/1

Respectable second of 7 in minor event at Killarney (14.2f, good to soft, 10/3) 76 days ago, needing stronger gallop.

Form: 242/10-2

(16)

Lot of Joy¹¹³

Age: 5| Weight: 12-0| J: Mr P W Mullins| T: W P Mullins| OR: 96

4/1

Useful on the Flat. Won a maiden hurdle for this yard earlier in the year. Respected for last year's winning trainer/jockey combination.

Form: 6131/43-

(17)

Powerful Aggie^p¹⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 12-0| J: Miss A B O'Connor⁽³⁾| T: J P O'Brien| OR: 96

16/1

Respectable 4½ lengths sixth of 11 to Shamida in Stanerra Stakes (12/1) at Leopardstown (14f, good) 18 days ago. Back up in trip. Yard in good form. Cheekpieces back on.

Form: 083-516

(18)

Magellan Strait^b¹⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 11-12| J: Mr T Hamilton| T: J P O'Brien| OR: 94

66/1

Blinkered for 1st time, good third of 8 in minor event (12/1) at Leopardstown (15f, good) 18 days ago. Stable in good form.

Form: 210-803

(9)

Phoenix Cowboy^p1¹²⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: P Hanlon⁽⁷⁾| T: J J Hanlon| OR: 94

80/1

Fourth of 5 in minor event (5/1) at Navan (14f, heavy), not knocked about. Off 124 days. Back up in trip. First run for yard after leaving Ger. Lyons. Cheekpieces on 1st time.

Form: 25000-4

(21)

Almuhit^p³⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 11-10| J: Mr Pat Taaffe⁽⁷⁾| T: D Hogan| OR: 92

28/1

11/1, creditable 1¼ lengths third of 16 to Dartan in handicap at the Curragh (16f, good) 30 days ago, well positioned.

Form: 23-0023

(3)

Cougar¹¹²

Age: 4| Weight: 11-10| J: Mr D O'Connor| T: P Roche| OR: 92| D

18/1

Curragh maiden winner for Aidan O'Brien last summer. Pretty useful juvenile hurdler for this stable last season. Off 112 days.

Form: 7/2321-

(14)

Maze Runner²⁹

Age: 8| Weight: 11-10| J: Mr C Mullins⁽⁷⁾| T: W P Mullins| OR: 92| C

9/1

Course winner. Eighth of 11 in handicap (25/1) at the Curragh (12f, good to firm) 29 days ago. Significantly back up in trip.

Form: 4/1207-8

(20)

Zinc White⁴¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-10| J: Mr T Power Roche⁽⁷⁾| T: Ian Williams| OR: 92

8/1

1 win from 2 runs this year. Latest win at Chester in May. 11/1, sixteenth of 19 in handicap at Royal Ascot (20f, good) 41 days ago.

Form: 6611/10

(2)

Shajak^t⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 11-9| J: Mr H C Swan⁽⁵⁾| T: G Elliott| OR: 91

25/1

Didn't need to be at best when winning 16-runner novice hurdle at Limerick (16f, soft, 2/11) 4 days ago, easily. Up in trip. Useful on the Flat, creditable on last Flat outing.

Form: 72306-4

(6)

Burren Song^t⁵⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 11-7| J: Mr A P Ryan⁽⁷⁾| T: A Slattery| OR: 89

28/1

3 wins from 7 runs this year. Latest win at Leopardstown in May. Good third of 10 in handicap (8/1) at the Curragh (14f, good) 54 days ago. Up in trip. Tongue strap back on. Enters calculations.

Form: 241113

(10)

Scaramanga⁷⁹

Age: 8| Weight: 11-7| J: Miss J Townend| T: W P Mullins| OR: 89| D

11/1

Smart hurdler who won a Grade 1 in America when last seen in May. Also useful on the Flat and should give a good account for a stable seeking a fifth win in this since 2017.

Form: 0/086-21

(11)

Teed Up²⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 11-6| J: Mr R W Barron⁽⁷⁾| T: E Mullins| OR: 88| CD

7/2

Course winner. 7/2, good second of 10 in handicap at Tramore (16f, good to soft) on reappearance 20 days ago, not clear run. Major player.

Form: 100/92-2

(12)

The Very Man^p⁶⁴

Age: 9| Weight: 11-6| J: Mr B O'Neill| T: Mrs J Harrington| OR: 88| CD

14/1

Lightly-raced winner on Flat. Useful winner at 20f over hurdles. 13/2, very good fourth of 18 in handicap at the Curragh (14f, good) 64 days ago, faring best of those held up. Merits consideration.

Form: 2210-14

(15)

Dutch Schultz^h²³

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: Mr J Dunne⁽⁷⁾| T: G P Cromwell| OR: 87

18/1

10/3 and hooded for 1st time, respectable second of 12 in novice hurdle at Bellewstown (16.8f, good) 23 days ago. Hood on 1st time on the Flat. Needs a couple of these to falter.

Form: 251/300-

(8)

Dartan^t¹⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: Mr F Maguire| T: M J Smith| OR: 86

50/1

1 win from 2 runs this year. Useful winner at 24f over hurdles. Seventh of 11 in handicap hurdle at Killarney (22.8f, good, 10/3) 10 days ago, lame when.

Form: 4/711-71

(19)

Female Soldier¹⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 11-4| J: Alex Harvey⁽⁷⁾| T: T Mullins| OR: 86

50/1

Eleven runs since last win in 2022. 12/1, respectable fourth of 8 in minor event at Leopardstown (15f, good) 18 days ago. Every chance if back to best.

Form: 0-54774

(22)

Whiskey Sour^t²⁶⁷

Age: 10| Weight: 11-4| J: Miss M O'Sullivan⁽⁵⁾| T: W P Mullins| OR: 86| CD

25/1

Won this back in 2017. Sill capable of smart form over hurdles last summer but struggled on the Flat when last seen in the autumn.

Form: 300/800-

(23)

Line Out^p³⁰

Age: 11| Weight: 11-3| J: Mr J L Gleeson⁽⁵⁾| T: J & T Kiely| OR: 85

20/1

Lightly-raced winner on Flat. Cheekpieces back on. Probably needed run on Curragh reappearance after 22 months off and should be sharper now.

Form: 6181/0

(13)

Black Hawk Eagle¹³

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: Mr D G Lavery| T: N Meade| OR: 82| BF

22/1

Winner at Navan in March. Good second of 14 in handicap (9/2) at Killarney (16.8f, good to soft) 13 days ago. Yard in good form. RESERVE.

Form: 39-1252

Non-Runners

(1)

Baltic Bird²⁵

Weight: 11-6| Age: 4

T: W Durkan J: Mr J C Barry

(5)

Nibiru⁶⁵

Weight: 11-1| Age: 8

T: A J Martin J: Reserve 1

(7)

Dalton Highway¹⁹

Weight: 10-13| Age: 10

T: D K Weld J: Reserve 3

Forecasts

Teed Up (7/2), Lot of Joy (4/1), Zinc White (8/1), Maze Runner (9/1), Hms Seahorse (10/1), Scaramanga (11/1), The Very Man (14/1), Powerful Aggie (16/1), Dutch Schultz (18/1), Cougar (18/1), Line Out (20/1), Black Hawk Eagle (22/1), Shajak (25/1), Whiskey Sour (25/1), Nibiru (25/1), Almuhit (28/1), Burren Song (28/1), Dalton Highway (33/1), Female Soldier (50/1), Dartan (50/1), Magellan Strait (66/1), Baltic Bird (66/1), Phoenix Cowboy (80/1)

TEED UP won over hurdles at this meeting last year and might be able to repeat the feat on the Flat on the back of a very promising reappearance second at Tramore 3 weeks ago. Willie Mullins has a cracking recent record in this so Scaramanga and Lot of Joy rate threats. The Very Man and Burren Song also make the shortlist.