13:15 Curragh

Sunday 5 November 2023

All12:1012:4013:1513:5014:2515:0015:3516:10

Mongey Communications Handicap

Off time: 13:16 | Winning time: 1m 32.71s

(15)

Spanish Tenor¹⁴

Age: 9| Weight: 10-3| J: C J MacRedmond⁽⁵⁾| T: A McGuinness| OR: 88| D

25/1

Latest win at Listowel in September. Went off too hard back up in trip when last of 11 in handicap (33/1) at Leopardstown (8f, heavy) 2 weeks ago.

Form: 421100

(16)

All Lies Ahead²¹

Age: 5| Weight: 10-0| J: W J Lee| T: W McCreery| OR: 85| D

8/1

25/1, found it tougher up in grade when 8¼ lengths tenth of 15 to Curvature in listed race at Naas (8f, heavy) 3 weeks ago. Can get involved.

Form: 602270

(19)

Cavallo Pazzo^t²²

Age: 4| Weight: 9-12| J: Conor Stone-Walsh⁽⁷⁾| T: J P O'Brien| OR: 83| BF| D

8/1

Latest win at Down Royal in September. 4/1, not in same form when 7¾ lengths ninth of 11 to Facethepuckout in handicap at Naas (7f, soft) 22 days ago.

Form: 820219

(6)

Facethepuckout²²

Age: 7| Weight: 9-12| J: L F Roche| T: M O'Callaghan| OR: 83| CD

16/1

C&D winner. Career best when winning 11-runner handicap at Naas (7f, soft, 7/1) 22 days ago, soon clear. Picked up back-to-back wins last year and it would be unwise to rule out a repeat.

Form: 332041

(7)

Loingseoir^t²⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 9-11| J: Jack Kearney⁽⁵⁾| T: M C Grassick| OR: 82| C

28/1

Course winner. Twelve runs since last win in 2022. Wasn't really seen to best effect when 5¼ lengths sixth of 7 to Rhythm King in handicap (10/3) at Gowran (7f, heavy) 20 days ago, left poorly placed. Enters calculations.

Form: 220466

(5)

Signora Bellissima^p³²

Age: 3| Weight: 9-10| J: Ben Coen| T: J P Murtagh| OR: 82

66/1

Latest win at Navan in August. Not in same form when last of 10 in handicap (16/1) there (8f, soft) 32 days ago. Cheekpieces back on.

Form: 274910

(13)

Frazil¹⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 9-8| J: N G McCullagh| T: J S Bolger| OR: 79

25/1

Thrice-raced winner. 14/1, possibly found the race coming too soon when 12¾ lengths last of 8 to Mutasarref in listed race at Leopardstown (8f, heavy) 2 weeks ago. Makes handicap debut.

Form: 518

(9)

Rhythm King⁶

Age: 3| Weight: 9-7| J: Robert Whearty⁽⁵⁾| T: M Fahey| OR: 79| D

14/1

Latest win at Gowran in October. Not in same form when ninth of 15 in handicap (8/1) at Galway (8.3f, heavy) 6 days ago.

Form: 396919

(22)

Eastern Wind^v¹⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 9-4| J: James Ryan⁽⁵⁾| T: T G McCourt| OR: 75| D

25/1

Ran poorly when ninth of 11 in handicap at Dundalk (7f, 28/1) 16 days ago. Visor back on. Back on turf and better showing anticipated.

Form: 308569

(1)

Sirjack Thomas²⁹

Age: 8| Weight: 9-4| J: Adam Caffrey⁽⁵⁾| T: A McGuinness| OR: 75| C| D

25/1

Course winner. Followed a below-par effort with an even worse one when tenth of 19 in handicap at this course (8f, soft, 14/1) 29 days ago. Merits consideration down to his last winning mark.

Form: 545400

(4)

Clear Quartz⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 9-2| J: Ronan Whelan| T: M Fahey| OR: 73

18/1

20/1, stepped up on reappearance when second of 16 in handicap at Galway (7f, heavy) 6 days ago, running on.

Form: 0030-02

(8)

Takeachancejimmy³¹⁴

Age: 9| Weight: 9-1| J: Gary Carroll| T: N Slevin| OR: 72| C| D

100/1

Course winner. Last of 21 in maiden hurdle at Leopardstown (16f, soft, 200/1) when last seen 10 months ago. Fair on the Flat, poor on last outing.

Form: 190000-

(10)

Expressova^t²⁹

Age: 3| Weight: 9-0| J: Robbie Colgan| T: S Lavery| OR: 72

33/1

1 win from 2 runs this year. Out of depth when 16¼ lengths tenth of 14 to Aussie Girl in listed race at this course (6f, soft, 100/1) 29 days ago.

Form: 080-10

(14)

Randall Poets Lass¹⁹

Age: 3| Weight: 9-0| J: Colin Keane| T: S Fahey| OR: 72

16/1

Lightly-raced maiden. 15/8, below form fifth of 12 in maiden at Gowran (9.4f, heavy) 19 days ago. Down in trip. Makes handicap debut.

Form: 6-325

(20)

Mogwli^v⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 8-13| J: Megan Telford-Kelly⁽¹⁰⁾| T: W McCreery| OR: 70| C

12/1

Course winner. Latest win at Bellewstown in September. Respectable fifth of 19 in handicap at this course (5.9f, heavy, 11/1) 5 days ago. Visor back on. Looks competitive on form.

Form: 162455

(2)

Nituna¹⁴

Age: 3| Weight: 8-12| J: Chris Hayes| T: S Lavery| OR: 70

8/1

Good ½-length second of 12 to Yuzu in handicap (8/1) at Leopardstown (7.1f, heavy) 2 weeks ago. Expected to be bang there.

Form: 0-84322

(3)

Trumble¹⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 8-11| J: J A Heffernan| T: C O'Connell| OR: 68| D

66/1

Offered little on first outing since leaving David Loughnane after 11 months off when last of 22 in handicap at Navan (5.8f, heavy, 33/1) 18 days ago. Back up in trip.

Form: 4/5738-0

(17)

Yuzu¹⁴

Age: 3| Weight: 8-11| J: Keithen Kennedy⁽⁷⁾| T: Mrs J Harrington| OR: 69| D

12/1

Career best when winning 12-runner handicap at Leopardstown (7.1f, heavy, 9/2) 2 weeks ago by ½ length from Nituna, well positioned. Could kick on now up and running.

Form: 546271

(18)

Paris Review¹⁶⁶

Age: 3| Weight: 8-8| J: S Foley| T: Mrs J Harrington| OR: 66

20/1

Thrice-raced maiden. 9/1, eleventh of 17 in maiden at Gowran (9.4f, good to soft) over 5 months ago. Down in trip. Makes handicap debut.

Form: 730

(11)

Zephron^p⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 8-7| J: M W Hassett⁽⁷⁾| T: D Cullen| OR: 64| C

13/2

Course winner. Latest win at Cork in September. 11/1, wasted no time getting back to form when fourth of 20 in handicap at this C&D (heavy) 5 days ago.

Form: 032164

(21)

Blue Peak^p⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 8-7| J: D E Sheehy⁽³⁾| T: M C Grassick| OR: 61| CD

4/1

C&D winner in October. 5/1, ran well from a 7 lb higher mark when second of 20 in handicap at this C&D (heavy) 5 days ago, running on. In top form at present so could well be in the shake-up again.

Form: 834212

(12)

Conversant^b,t⁶

Age: 8| Weight: 8-7| J: Siobhan Rutledge⁽³⁾| T: Ciaran Murphy| OR: 58| C

25/1

Course winner. Shaped well over further than usual when third of 16 in handicap at Galway (7f, heavy, 12/1) 6 days ago, racing closer to pace than ideal. Not one to write off.

Form: 500573

Forecasts

Blue Peak (4/1), Zephron (13/2), All Lies Ahead (8/1), Nituna (8/1), Cavallo Pazzo (8/1), Mogwli (12/1), Yuzu (12/1), Rhythm King (14/1), Randall Poets Lass (16/1), Facethepuckout (16/1), Clear Quartz (18/1), Paris Review (20/1), Sirjack Thomas (25/1), Eastern Wind (25/1), Spanish Tenor (25/1), Conversant (25/1), Frazil (25/1), Loingseoir (28/1), Expressova (33/1), Trumble (66/1), Signora Bellissima (66/1), Takeachancejimmy (100/1)

Cases can be made for a number of these but the tentative vote goes to NITUNA, who is yet to get her head in front but is clearly in top form having hit the crossbar twice last month. Facethepuckout bagged his fifth career win at Naas just over 3 weeks ago, and having picked up back-to-back wins around this time last year, he's put forward as the main danger, with Sirjack Thomas and Yuzu another couple worthy of a mention.