16:20 Listowel

Monday 23 September 2024

All13:3014:0014:3515:1015:4516:2016:5517:25

John McGuire Handicap (Premier Handicap)

Off time: 16:20 | Winning time: 2m 39.63s

(10)

No Niki No^p⁴⁷

Age: 8| Weight: 9-5| J: Chris Hayes| T: Eoghan O'Neill| OR: 88

5/1

Career best when winning 7-runner handicap at Sligo (10.5f, soft, 7/2) 47 days ago, battling well. This is tougher up 5 lb.

Form: 0-40221

(1)

Soaring Monarch⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 9-5| J: N G McCullagh| T: Alan McIntyre| OR: 88

7/2

10/1, creditable fourth of 14 in handicap at the Curragh (10f, good) 8 days ago. Place possibilities.

Form: 00-8304

(11)

Vestigia^b,t²¹

Age: 3| Weight: 9-5| J: Gary Carroll| T: S Lavery| OR: 95

11/2

Two wins from 6 runs this year. 5/4 and blinkered for 1st time, career best when winning 5-runner minor event at Roscommon (10.3f, soft) 21 days ago, slowly away. Tongue strap back on and this is more demanding.

Form: 158331

(5)

Teed Up²⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 9-3| J: G M Ryan| T: E Mullins| OR: 86

22/1

Tenth of 13 in handicap at Bellewstown (17.5f, good to soft, 28/1) 27 days ago. Significantly back down in trip. Booking of Ryan a plus. Given a chance by the handicapper.

Form: 0-09080

(3)

Scholarship^b⁵⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 9-2| J: Declan McDonogh| T: Gerard O'Leary| OR: 85

10/1

Bit below form tenth of 18 in handicap (20/1) at Galway (8.6f, good to soft) 55 days ago. Significantly up in trip and blinkers back on. Solid chance judged on good second at the Curragh on penultimate start.

Form: 2-29720

(6)

Derry Lad⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 8-13| J: J Cleary⁽⁷⁾| T: Kevin Coleman| OR: 82| D

9/2

33/1, creditable ninth of 22 in handicap at Leopardstown (13f, good) 9 days ago. Needs a couple of these to falter.

Form: 933099

(9)

Timourid^p,t³⁴

Age: 7| Weight: 8-13| J: J M Sheridan| T: D Hogan| OR: 82

22/1

Latest win at Leopardstown in June. 9/4, below form fourth of 8 in claimer at Roscommon (10.4f, heavy) 34 days ago. Rejoined yard after leaving Paul W.Flynn. Others more persuasive.

Form: 815704

(7)

Belgoprince^t¹⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 8-7| J: M W Hassett⁽⁵⁾| T: Mrs C O'Leary| OR: 76| D

14/1

4/1, sixth of 9 in handicap at Down Royal (18.6f, good to firm) 17 days ago, hampered. Significantly down in trip and he enters calculations.

Form: 140-076

(4)

Thor's Hammer^b,t1²⁹

Age: 3| Weight: 8-7| J: J A Powell⁽³⁾| T: J P Murtagh| OR: 82| BF

7/2

Creditable second of 7 in handicap at Naas (10.4f, good to soft, 2/1) 29 days ago. Tongue strap on 1st time and likely to be in the thick of things once again.

Form: 4-21342

Non-Runners

(12)

Saltwell¹⁴¹

Weight: 10-0| Age: 4

T: John O'Donoghue J: Ronan Whelan

(8)

Weston⁵⁶

Weight: 9-12| Age: 5

T: H Rogers J: Rachael Blackmore

(2)

Jabbar¹⁸

Weight: 8-11| Age: 5

T: Gerard O'Leary J: Keithen Kennedy

Forecasts

Soaring Monarch (7/2), Thor's Hammer (7/2), Derry Lad (9/2), No Niki No (5/1), Vestigia (11/2), Jabbar (11/2), Scholarship (10/1), Saltwell (12/1), Belgoprince (14/1), Timourid (22/1), Teed Up (22/1), Weston (25/1)

It's best to draw a line through WESTON's latest run at Galway and he is interesting here with Rachael Blackmore booked having shaped well on his debut for this yard at Navan in May. Scholarship can also be forgiven for a below-par display at Galway last time and a reproduction of his previous effort at the Curragh would put him firmly in the picture. Jabbar and Thor's Hammer are both shortlisted, too.