16:30 Kilbeggan

Sunday 2 June 2024

All13:4514:2014:5515:3016:0016:3017:00

Cooke's Bar & Restaurant Caragh Handicap Chase (0-123)

Off time: 16:30 | Winning time: 5m 7.8s

Say It Ain't So^t²⁵⁴

Age: 9| Weight: 12-0| J: Liam Quinlan⁽³⁾| T: R Hackett| OR: 120| D

22/1

Latest win in chase at Ballinrobe in May 2023. Respectable seventh of 12 in handicap chase at Listowel (17f, soft, 9/1) 8 months ago.

Form: 68/1707-

The Gradual Slope²⁹

Age: 7| Weight: 12-0| J: M M McDonagh| T: S O O'Brien| OR: 120| C

12/1

22/1, career best when winning 21-runner handicap chase at Punchestown (31.3f, soft) 29 days ago. Significantly back down in trip and he'll surely find it too sharp.

Form: P43231-

Somptueux^p²⁹

Age: 9| Weight: 11-12| J: Rachael Blackmore| T: H De Bromhead| OR: 118| CD

14/1

Useful chaser at best. Runner-up in point last time (Jan 2024). Hard to fancy unless there is market support for him from a lowly mark.

Form: P12F/42-

Optional Mix^t²⁰

Age: 8| Weight: 11-10| J: Shane O'Callaghan⁽⁵⁾| T: E Doyle| OR: 116| D

14/1

Thirteen runs since last win in 2022. 18/1, sixth of 15 in handicap hurdle at Killarney (20.2f, good to soft) 20 days ago. Switches from hurdles to chase.

Form: 6300U-6

Time Marches On²⁴

Age: 8| Weight: 11-8| J: Keith Donoghue| T: J Motherway| OR: 114

11/1

17/2, career best when winning 14-runner handicap chase at Tipperary (16.5f, good to soft) 24 days ago. Back up in trip. More needed again.

Form: P81F8-1

A Mere Bagatelle^b²⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 11-5| J: P Hanlon⁽⁷⁾| T: J J Hanlon| OR: 111| CD

11/1

Career best when winning 11-runner handicap chase (7/1) at Killarney (20.4f, good to soft) 20 days ago. Far from sure to be in the same mood, although made all in this 12 months ago.

Form: 25868-1

Whatsafellatodo⁶

Age: 11| Weight: 11-5| J: J J Slevin| T: Richard Daniels| OR: 111| BF| D

3/1

Creditable second of 8 in handicap chase at Ballinrobe (19.2f, good, 6/4) 6 days ago. Shortlist material.

Form: 45/13-42

Marelly^p⁴⁴

Age: 7| Weight: 11-0| J: J P O'Sullivan| T: P J Rothwell| OR: 106

33/1

Fairly useful winner at 16f over hurdles. Cheekpieces on for 1st time, fifth of 8 in handicap chase (10/1) at Limerick (17.4f, heavy) 44 days ago.

Form: 8856P5-

Mousey Brown^t³³

Age: 7| Weight: 11-0| J: P J O'Hanlon⁽³⁾| T: D A McLoughlin| OR: 106| D

3/1

Fairly useful hurdler. Four wins from 10 runs last season. 25/1, eighteenth of 24 in handicap hurdle at Punchestown (19.4f, good to soft) 23 days ago. Could have more to offer over fences.

Form: 639110-

General Clermont¹⁰

Age: 8| Weight: 10-12| J: Gavin Brouder⁽⁵⁾| T: D E Fitzgerald| OR: 104| D

7/2

3/1, career best when winning 9-runner handicap chase at Limerick (17.7f, good) 10 days ago. 8 lb rise to overcome but hard to fault the start he's made over fences.

Form: 17842-1

Lake Chad²⁰

Age: 9| Weight: 10-6| J: Niall Moore⁽⁷⁾| T: P Fenton| OR: 98

28/1

9/1, tailed-off ninth of 11 to A Mere Bagatelle in handicap chase at Killarney (20.4f, good to soft) 20 days ago. Tough to assess at present.

Form: 27277-9

Forecasts

Mousey Brown (3/1), Whatsafellatodo (3/1), General Clermont (7/2), A Mere Bagatelle (11/1), Time Marches On (11/1), The Gradual Slope (12/1), Optional Mix (14/1), Somptueux (14/1), Say It Ain't So (22/1), Lake Chad (28/1), Marelly (33/1)

WHATSAFELLATODO bumped into a formerly useful sort back on song in a pretty good veterans' handicap at Ballinrobe last week and could be the way to go. Mousey Brown, General Clermont and last year's winner A Mere Bagatelle are feared.