16:50 Naas

Monday 5 August 2024

All14:2014:5015:2015:5016:2016:5017:20

Irish EBF Ballyhane Stakes (Median Auction Race)

Off time: 16:52 | Winning time: 1m 11.48s

(17)

Midnight Strike⁴⁸

Age: 2| Weight: 9-6| J: Dylan Browne McMonagle| T: J P O'Brien| OR: 96

8/1

Thrice-raced winner. Winner at the Curragh in April. 7¼ lengths fifteenth of 22 to Rashabar in Coventry Stakes (28/1) at Royal Ascot (6f, good to firm) 48 days ago. Key player.

Form: 130

Image of Stars that are filled with the colour gold

(18)

Amazing Athena^p¹²

Age: 2| Weight: 9-3| J: Ben Coen| T: J P Murtagh| OR: 87| C

40/1

Thrice-raced winner. Course winner. Cheekpieces on for 1st time, 3 lengths sixth of 10 to Miss Lamai in listed race (18/1) at this course (5f, good to soft) 12 days ago. Likely to find a few of these too strong.

Form: 016

(21)

Violet Love²⁸

Age: 2| Weight: 9-3| J: Billy Loughnane| T: G Boughey| OR: 90| D

6/1

Fairly useful filly. 3 wins from 6 runs this year. Career best when winning 14-runner novice (7/2) at Ripon (6f, good to firm) 28 days ago. This is tougher but she's barely put a foot wrong in her career thus far.

Form: 221121

(2)

Adrenaline Rush^p1²³

Age: 2| Weight: 9-2| J: Nathan Crosse| T: Mrs J Harrington| OR: 72

125/1

Thrice-raced maiden. Seventeenth of 19 in maiden (7/1) at Navan (5.8f, good to firm) 23 days ago. Cheekpieces on for 1st time. Wise Men Say appears to be the stable No 1.

Form: 760

(14)

Brosay⁴⁷

Age: 2| Weight: 9-2| J: Gavin Ryan| T: D Dias| OR: 80

40/1

Lightly-raced winner. Winner at Goodwood in May. 9 lengths nineteenth of 27 to Ain't Nobody in listed Windsor Castle Stakes (125/1) at Royal Ascot (5f, firm) 47 days ago. Looks vulnerable.

Form: 53130

(5)

Wise Men Say¹⁰

Age: 2| Weight: 9-2| J: Shane Foley| T: Mrs J Harrington

25/1

Twice-raced winner. Won 12-runner maiden at Cork (5f, good to firm) 10 days ago by length from Gazelle D'or, barely adequate test. Moving up in trip here may well help unlock further progress.

Form: 41

(4)

And So To Bed¹⁸

Age: 2| Weight: 9-1| J: Declan McDonogh| T: J P O'Brien| D

16/1

Thrice-raced winner. Won 11-runner maiden (11/2) at Leopardstown (6.5f, good) 18 days ago. One of two credible contenders for the yard that saddled the winner of this in 2022, the other being Midnight Strike.

Form: 451

(16)

Fiamma¹⁷

Age: 2| Weight: 9-1| J: Robert Whearty| T: A Murray

100/1

Once-raced maiden. Fourth of 7 in maiden at Down Royal (5f, good, 25/1) on debut 17 days ago. Looks up against it.

Form: 4

(15)

Grande Marques³⁷

Age: 2| Weight: 9-1| J: Seamie Heffernan| T: J A Stack

16/1

Twice-raced maiden. 11/1, 6¾ lengths fifth of 9 to Truly Enchanting in Airlie Stud Stakes at the Curragh (6f, good to soft) 37 days ago. Open to improvement.

Form: 35

(19)

Mood Altering¹¹

Age: 2| Weight: 9-1| J: J M Sheridan| T: J A Stack

80/1

Twice-raced maiden. 12/1, eighth of 18 in maiden at Leopardstown (7.3f, good to soft) 11 days ago, not clear run. Should improve.

Form: 38

(12)

Lethimfly¹⁰

Age: 2| Weight: 9-0| J: Billy Lee| T: N Meade| OR: 84| BF

20/1

Lightly-raced winner. Winner at Bellewstown in July. 3¼ lengths second of 4 to Morning Vietnam in minor event (5/4) at Cork (5f, good to firm) 10 days ago. Stable in good form and he's not without each-way hope.

Form: 64212

(27)

Manhattan Chute^p1¹²

Age: 2| Weight: 9-0| J: James Ryan| T: M O'Callaghan

150/1

Once-raced maiden. 125/1, eleventh of 13 in maiden at this C&D (good to soft) on debut 12 days ago. Cheekpieces on for 1st time.

Form: 0

(6)

Fiery Lucy²⁴

Age: 2| Weight: 8-13| J: Gary Carroll| T: G P Cromwell| OR: 88| D

10/1

Thrice-raced winner. Successful at Fairyhouse in June. 12/1, 7 lengths ninth of 11 to Arabian Dusk in Duchess of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket (6f, good) 24 days ago. Plenty to find with Heavens Gate on that evidence.

Form: 219

(7)

Heavens Gate²⁴

Age: 2| Weight: 8-13| J: R L Moore| T: A P O'Brien| OR: 102| BF| D

4/6

Lightly-raced winner. 15/8, creditable 1½ lengths third of 11 to Arabian Dusk in Duchess of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket (6f, good) 24 days ago. Sets a solid standard.

Form: 2133

(20)

Roaming Eyes^h⁵⁹

Age: 2| Weight: 8-11| J: Leigh Roche| T: S Lavery

150/1

Twice-raced maiden. Sixth of 11 in maiden at Fairyhouse (6f, good, 14/1) 59 days ago, not knocked about. Probably more one for nurseries in due course.

Form: 76

(8)

Shiota³⁰

Age: 2| Weight: 8-11| J: Ronan Whelan| T: J G Murphy| CD

50/1

Twice-raced winner. 40/1, won 8-runner minor event at this C&D (good) 30 days ago by head from Elzem. Open to progress and she shouldn't be underestimated, for all that this is much tougher.

Form: 61

(10)

Skillman Ave¹²

Age: 2| Weight: 8-11| J: Chris Hayes| T: G P Cromwell

50/1

Twice-raced maiden. 12/1, 5 lengths eighth of 10 to Miss Lamai in listed race at this course (5f, good to soft) 12 days ago, not knocked about. Likely to improve.

Form: 48

(1)

Tino Pai¹⁰

Age: 2| Weight: 8-11| J: Rory Cleary| T: S Lavery| OR: 62

125/1

Thrice-raced maiden. 2¼ lengths fourth of 12 to Wise Men Say in maiden (22/1) at Cork (5f, good to firm) 10 days ago. Work to do.

Form: 084

(3)

Gazelle D'or¹⁰

Age: 2| Weight: 8-9| J: D E Sheehy| T: M C Grassick| OR: 70

100/1

Lightly-raced maiden. Creditable length second of 12 to Wise Men Say in maiden at Cork (5f, good to firm, 11/1) 10 days ago. Each-way squeak.

Form: 2752

(11)

Li Ban¹⁹

Age: 2| Weight: 8-9| J: D Egan| T: Raphael Freire| OR: 78| D

12/1

Lightly-raced winner. 9/4, career best when winning 9-runner novice at Thirsk (6f, good) 19 days ago, keeping on well. This is a much sterner test but she has to be feared all the same.

Form: 54231

(9)

Vovatia^h1⁵²

Age: 2| Weight: 8-11| J: Siobhan Rutledge| T: S Lavery

125/1

Twice-raced maiden. 12¾ lengths eleventh of 17 to Fiery Lucy in maiden (40/1) at Fairyhouse (6f, good) 52 days ago. Hooded for 1st time. RESERVE.

Form: 00

Non-Runners

(22)

Morning Vietnam¹⁰

Weight: 9-2| Age: 2

T: M O'Callaghan J: Colin Keane

(26)

Right And True¹

Weight: 9-2| Age: 2

T: A P O'Brien J: Wayne Lordan

(13)

Elzem²

Weight: 9-0| Age: 2

T: J P O'Brien J: Mikey Sheehy

(23)

Dandy Khan⁴⁰

Weight: 8-11| Age: 2

T: Mrs J Harrington J: N G McCullagh

(24)

Ms Olivia

Weight: 9-3| Age: 2

T: G P Cromwell J: Reserve 2

(25)

Penelope Sprightly

Weight: 9-1| Age: 2

T: G P Cromwell J: Reserve 3

Forecasts

Heavens Gate (4/6), Violet Love (6/1), Midnight Strike (8/1), Morning Vietnam (8/1), Fiery Lucy (10/1), Li Ban (12/1), Elzem (12/1), And So To Bed (16/1), Grande Marques (16/1), Lethimfly (20/1), Wise Men Say (25/1), Right And True (25/1), Amazing Athena (40/1), Brosay (40/1), Shiota (50/1), Skillman Ave (50/1), Penelope Sprightly (66/1), Dandy Khan (66/1), Mood Altering (80/1), Gazelle D'or (100/1), Fiamma (100/1), Adrenaline Rush (125/1), Tino Pai (125/1), Vovatia (125/1), Manhattan Chute (150/1), Roaming Eyes (150/1), Ms Olivia (150/1)

She probably won't be much of a price but it's nevertheless hard to look beyond HEAVENS GATE, who sets a clear standard on her solid placed efforts in the Albany at Royal Ascot (strong form) and most recently in a Newmarket Group 2. Li Ban did the job well when opening her account in a Thirsk novice recently and she is second choice ahead of the Joseph O'Brien-trained duo, Midnight Strike and And So To Bed, while fellow British raider Violet Love and the promising Shiota also need a mention.