15:53 Curragh

Wednesday 25 October 2023

All13:0513:3514:0814:4315:1815:5316:2817:03

Tote, Never Beaten By SP Amateur Riders Derby (Q.R.) Race

3YO plus | 1m 4f | 9 Runners | Turf

(8)

Age: 8| Weight: 12-0| J: Mr A Jones⁽⁷⁾| T: H De Bromhead

Smart chaser who ran to a useful level when taking his Flat record to 2-2 in a Listowel conditions race last month. Likely to give another good account but no easy task giving weight to Helvic Dream.

Form: 1/-1

(5)

Lord Erskine^b¹⁰

Age: 10| Weight: 12-0| J: Miss M Walsh⁽⁷⁾| T: H Rogers| OR: 87| C| D

Fairly useful gelding. Course winner. Latest win here in September. Creditable ninth of 16 in handicap at Naas (16.1f, heavy, 18/1) 10 days ago. Back down in trip.

Form: 165419

(3)

Helvic Dream³²

Age: 6| Weight: 11-7| J: Mr P W Mullins| T: N Meade| OR: 105| C

Group 1 winner here in 2021. Drawn a blank since but he's still very useful (third in Ayr listed latest) and is very much the one to beat on these terms.

Form: 76-7433

(9)

Kottayam¹⁸

Age: 8| Weight: 11-7| J: Mr S P Queally⁽⁷⁾| T: J Queally| OR: 64

Bumper/Flat winner. 40/1, first run since leaving Anthony Mullins when seventh of 16 in handicap at this C&D (soft) 18 days ago, unsuited by drop in trip

Form: /1-6807

(4)

Balaclava⁶²

Age: 10| Weight: 11-4| J: Ms M Kelly⁽⁷⁾| T: D Bunyan & G O'Leary| OR: 34

Remains a maiden after 22 Flat runs. Last of 5 in minor event (300/1) at Killarney (16.8f, good) 62 days ago, slowly away. Down in trip. Outsider.

Form: 9807-05

(1)

Le Comte De Frou^t¹³

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: Mr F J Gillen⁽⁷⁾| T: Miss K Brown| OR: 61

Lightly-raced maiden. Visored for 1st time, eleventh of 14 in handicap at this course (10f, soft, 25/1) 13 days ago. Plenty to find.

Form: 0/86-300

(6)

Wayne R Walker^t⁹⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 11-4| J: Ms L Dowdall⁽⁷⁾| T: D Kinsella| OR: 41

Modest gelding. 200/1, pulled up in novice hurdle at Kilbeggan (18f, soft) 96 days ago. Off 96 days. Significantly up in trip.

Form: 250-706

(2)

Sugaree^p1⁶⁷

Age: 3| Weight: 11-3| J: Mr J L Gleeson⁽⁵⁾| T: J P O'Brien| OR: 84| BF| D

Won maiden at Leopardstown in June. Latest C&D handicap effort too bad to be true and retains potential as a lightly-raced 3-y-o from a leading stable.

Form: 7319

(7)

Encore De Mer¹⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 10-13| J: Miss K Lawless⁽⁷⁾| T: S M Duffy| OR: 41

Hooded for 1st time, first run since leaving J. G. Murray when fifteenth of 16 in handicap at this C&D (soft, 100/1) 18 days ago.

Form: 60-7080

Forecasts

Helvic Dream (5/6), Coeur Sublime (15/8), Lord Erskine (7/1), Sugaree (8/1), Le Comte De Frou (25/1), Kottayam (25/1), Wayne R Walker (66/1), Encore De Mer (66/1), Balaclava (100/1)

HELVIC DREAM won't get many better opportunities to land a first win since taking the 2021 Tattersalls Gold Cup here, particularly as he receives weight from likely main rival Coeur Sublime. Joseph O'Brien's 3-y-o Sugaree may prove best of the remainder in an Amateur Derby where it's hard to make a realistic case for many.