16:05 Curragh

Saturday 7 October 2023

All13:1013:4514:2014:5515:3016:0516:4017:15

Stephen Quirke Memorial Handicap

Off time: 16:05 | Winning time: 1m 2.8s

(8)

Tawaazon^b,t¹⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 10-0| J: J A Powell⁽⁵⁾| T: J McAuley| OR: 87| C| D

18/1

Course winner. 5 wins from 16 runs this year. 14/1, fourth of 7 in handicap at Bellewstown (5f, heavy) 10 days ago. Can give a good account.

Form: 152174

(10)

Gustavus Weston^h³

Age: 7| Weight: 9-12| J: Gary Carroll| T: J G Murphy| OR: 85| C

11/2

Course winner. 11/1, creditable fourth of 11 in handicap at Navan (5.8f, soft) 3 days ago. Seventeen runs since last win in 2021.

Form: 707004

(7)

Polar Bear^v¹²

Age: 3| Weight: 9-11| J: Keithen Kennedy⁽¹⁰⁾| T: Mrs J Harrington| OR: 84| BF| D

16/1

Latest win at Bellewstown in April. 7/2, fourth of 7 in handicap at Down Royal (5f, soft) 12 days ago. Visor back on. Not easy to make a case for.

Form: 8-13024

(3)

Harry's Hill¹⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 9-10| J: S T McCullagh⁽³⁾| T: M Hassett| OR: 83| CD

13/2

C&D winner. Latest win here in July. Good second of 16 in handicap at this C&D (soft, 16/1) 14 days ago. Needs considering.

Form: 610102

(5)

Pop Star^b³⁷

Age: 3| Weight: 9-9| J: J A Heffernan| T: A P O'Brien| OR: 82

4/1

Thrice-raced winner. Blinkered for 1st time, won 8-runner maiden at Navan (5.8f, good to soft, 10/3) 37 days ago, kept up to work. Trainer going well. Makes handicap debut. Open to improvement.

Form: 72-1

(9)

Little Queenie²⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 9-8| J: Robert Whearty⁽⁵⁾| T: P W Flynn| OR: 81| CD

9/1

C&D winner. Latest win here in August. 16/1, twenty first of 22 in handicap at this course (6f, good to soft) 27 days ago. Others more persuasive.

Form: 541210

(1)

Dream Today^p,t¹⁰

Age: 8| Weight: 9-6| J: C J MacRedmond⁽⁵⁾| T: A McGuinness| OR: 79

28/1

Latest win at Laytown in September. 11/2, only fifth of 7 in handicap at Bellewstown (5f, heavy) 10 days ago. Enters calculations if shrugging off latest effort.

Form: 035015

(6)

Screen Siren^p¹¹

Age: 5| Weight: 9-5| J: Colin Keane| T: S Lynam| OR: 78| D

10/1

Latest win at Navan in June. 6/1, respectable third of 10 in handicap at Cork (6f, soft) 11 days ago. In the mix.

Form: 731683

(4)

Petit Calvados⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 9-4| J: Ben Coen| T: Eoghan O'Neill| OR: 77| D

8/1

Again shaped well when strong-travelling third of 14 in handicap (12/1) at Dundalk (6f) 8 days ago, collared only late on. Big player.

Form: 6114-63

(2)

Parting Glass^t³⁵

Age: 3| Weight: 9-3| J: A J Slattery| T: J A Stack| OR: 76| D

11/1

Winner at Navan in May. 11/2, fair fourth of 7 in handicap at Navan (5f, good to soft) 35 days ago. Possibilities.

Form: 155294

(11)

Mymomentintime⁵⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 8-7| J: L F Roche| T: Miss S A Finn| OR: 66| CD

4/1

C&D winner. 9/2, respectable fourth of 10 in handicap at Tipperary (5f, soft) 57 days ago. Shortlist material.

Form: 6-53294

Forecasts

Mymomentintime (4/1), Pop Star (4/1), Gustavus Weston (11/2), Harry's Hill (13/2), Petit Calvados (8/1), Little Queenie (9/1), Screen Siren (10/1), Parting Glass (11/1), Polar Bear (16/1), Tawaazon (18/1), Dream Today (28/1)

PETIT CALVADOS has been shaping up well of late and caught the eye when a strong-travelling third at Dundalk so gets the vote in this competitive handicap. Handicap-debutant Pop Star looks to have more to offer and is next on the list ahead of the handily-weighted C&D winner Mymomentintime.