18:00 Leopardstown

Thursday 20 August 2026

All16:5617:2718:0018:3019:0019:3020:00

Unio Employee Benefits Handicap

Off time: 18:04 | Winning time: 1m 26.64s

(8)

Altimara¹⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 9-12| J: Donagh O'Connor| T: R O'Sullivan| OR: 68| CD

7/2

Turned in best effort of season when 2 lengths fifth of 16 to Zheleznaya Dama in handicap (9/1) at Naas (7f, good) 17 days ago and has dropped to only 1lb above the mark she defied in this race last year. Considered.

Form: 37-0965

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(10)

Naoi⁴⁰²

Age: 4| Weight: 9-10| J: Sam Coen⁽⁵⁾| T: W McCreery| OR: 66

20/1

Fair maiden for Paddy Twomey last year. Off for 13 months ahead of first outing for Willie McCreery. The betting is perhaps the best guide given the length of absence.

Form: 3338-

(7)

All Hail^b¹¹

Age: 3| Weight: 9-8| J: Gary Carroll| T: A Oliver| OR: 69

18/1

Fair maiden. 33/1 and blinkered first time, ninth of 14 in handicap at the Curragh (6f, good to firm) 11 days ago. Others are more obvious.

Form: 82-8409

(19)

Free Solo^p,t⁴⁸

Age: 9| Weight: 9-7| J: Ben Coen| T: P J F Murphy| OR: 63| C| D

20/1

Course winner. 14/1, below-form ninth of 15 in handicap at Bellewstown (1m, good) 48 days ago. Feasibly handicapped but consistency has been an issue with him this season.

Form: 070659

(13)

Ballymagreehan¹³

Age: 4| Weight: 9-6| J: Luke McAteer| T: D Marnane| OR: 62

11/1

Latest win at Gowran in May. Ninth of 12 in handicap there (7f, good, 12/1) 13 days ago. Remains 7 lb above the mark he defied at Gowran.

Form: 601779

(12)

Phoenix Pairc^t¹⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 9-6| J: Paddy Harnett⁽⁵⁾| T: W McCreery| OR: 62| D

10/1

Won a maiden at Dundalk in 2025 but no impact in handicaps since.

Form: 190-070

(3)

Bear Right^p¹⁷

Age: 3| Weight: 9-4| J: Shane Foley| T: Mrs J Harrington| OR: 65| BF

3/1

Still a maiden but firmly knocking on the door in handicaps this summer, including neck second of 16 to Zheleznaya Dama at Naas (7f, good) 17 days ago. Bold bid likely.

Form: 734332

(16)

Zheleznaya Dama¹⁷

Age: 3| Weight: 9-4| J: Rory Cleary| T: B W Duke| OR: 65| D

15/2

12/1, career best when winning 16-runner handicap at Naas (7f, good) 17 days ago by neck from Bear Right, just holding on. Another who has to enter calculations.

Form: 83-P521

(2)

Hazrama³⁶

Age: 3| Weight: 9-3| J: Chris Hayes| T: D K Weld| OR: 64

25/1

Thrice-raced maiden. Tenth of 14 in claimer (16/1) at Killarney (1m, good) 36 days ago. Makes handicap debut from a mark which demands improvement.

Form: 0-00

(11)

Shamanka^t³⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 9-2| J: J Cleary⁽⁵⁾| T: Harry Cleary| OR: 58

80/1

Maiden who stepped up on yard debut/return when fourth of 8 over 5f at Down Royal in June but down the field back there since.

Form: 530-040

(5)

Brains^b,t¹⁴

Age: 10| Weight: 9-0| J: Reese Holohan⁽⁷⁾| T: R Donohoe| OR: 56| C

12/1

Course winner. Sixteen runs since last win in 2025. Good fifth of 17 in C&D handicap (good to firm, 12/1) 14 days ago. Another who could make his presence felt.

Form: 426575

(14)

Jazzit^p¹⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 8-9| J: Wesley Joyce⁽³⁾| T: T G McCourt| OR: 51

4/1

15/2, good second of 17 over C&D (good to firm) 14 days ago. Considered if getting a run. RESERVE.

Form: 058832

(18)

Ninth Crusade^t²⁹

Age: 3| Weight: 9-13| J: Jamie Powell| T: M O'Callaghan| OR: 74

33/1

Off 8 months, below-form sixth of 10 in handicap (20/1) at Naas (6f, good to firm) 29 days ago but entitled to come on for the outing. RESERVE.

Form: 17062-6

(1)

Sporting Hero⁸⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 10-5| J: Jamie Orr⁽⁷⁾| T: W Durkan| OR: 75

50/1

Three wins from 10 runs this year, the latest at Navan in April. Run of good form has come to a halt the last twice, though. RESERVE.

Form: 106100

Non-Runners

(6)

Faoladh¹⁹

Weight: 10-1| Age: 4

T: A Slattery J: Adam Browne-Souza

(20)

Rappell¹⁷

Weight: 9-10| Age: 5

T: P W Flynn J: Seamie Heffernan

(9)

La La Lucrative¹⁹

Weight: 9-9| Age: 5

T: M J Smith J: Robbie Colgan

(4)

Mr Perth²⁰

Weight: 9-5| Age: 3

T: M C Grassick J: Wayne Lordan

(17)

Kc Bear³⁹

Weight: 9-4| Age: 3

T: N Meade J: Nicola Burns

(21)

Gordon Bennett¹⁴

Weight: 9-0| Age: 8

T: Peter Fahey J: Robert Whearty

(15)

Oppenheimer¹³

Weight: 8-12| Age: 3

T: Kevin Coleman J: Leigh Roche

Forecasts

Bear Right (3/1), Altimara (7/2), Jazzit (4/1), Faoladh (5/1), La La Lucrative (6/1), Zheleznaya Dama (15/2), Phoenix Pairc (10/1), Ballymagreehan (11/1), Brains (12/1), Rappell (12/1), Mr Perth (12/1), Oppenheimer (12/1), Kc Bear (14/1), All Hail (18/1), Naoi (20/1), Free Solo (20/1), Hazrama (25/1), Gordon Bennett (25/1), Ninth Crusade (33/1), Sporting Hero (50/1), Shamanka (80/1)

FAOLADH may have got off lightly with a 3 lb rise for Galway given that the second has gone in since. Last year's winner Altimara took a step back in the right direction when fifth at Naas last time and could be primed for another bold bid in this race. La La Lucrative, who wasn't far behind the selection at Galway, Bear Right and low-mileage 3-y-o Mr Perth are a few of many others who could have a say in this competitive handicap.