2.30 Camas Park Irish EBF Maiden (1m1f)

• TimeWise Top 2 Rated:
  • Christmas Day (2, 9-7): Total TimeWise Rating of 287.
  • Endorsement (2, 9-7): Total TimeWise Rating of 287.
  • Note: Both horses share the highest TimeWise rating.
• Assessment of Chances:
  • Christmas Day: This Camelot colt, a 450,000gns yearling, showed a promising Galway debut earlier this month, staying on for third after not having the clearest run and being handled considerately. He is expected to make above-average improvement and is considered a definite contender. The Spotlight Verdict describes him as a “big threat”.
  • Endorsement: This Wootten Bassett colt, the first foal out of an unraced sister to a Group 1 winner, displayed plenty of debut promise at Killarney last month. He chased home an all-the-way odds-on winner and stablemate, with the fourth-placed horse having won since, indicating strong form. He is considered a “big player” on the back of that performance. The Spotlight Verdict identifies him as the pick and having a “huge shout” in this “quite a hot maiden”.

3.00 Irish EBF Auction Series Maiden (7½f)

• TimeWise Top 2 Rated:
  • Giovanni Giorgio (2, 9-7): Total TimeWise Rating of 294.
  • Redemption Road (2, 9-3h): Total TimeWise Rating of 245.
• Assessment of Chances:
  • Giovanni Giorgio: Showed some debut promise at Curragh and stepped up on that run at Roscommon, where he was narrowly beaten over this trip (albeit as an odds-on favourite). He has to concede weight but “sets the standard and major player”. The Spotlight Verdict regards him as a “standout” in the race.
  • Redemption Road: Has made “okay efforts on both outings,” finishing midfield in 6f maidens at Navan and the Curragh. He wore a hood on his second start. He is now upped in trip. His TimeWise rating is significantly lower than Giovanni Giorgio’s, suggesting a tougher task.

3.30 Glenvale Stud Race (7½f)

• TimeWise Top 2 Rated:
  • Mississippi River (3, 9-11b): Total TimeWise Rating of 349.
  • Marlborough Place (3, 9-9): Total TimeWise Rating of 297.
• Assessment of Chances:
  • Mississippi River: Has progressed well in handicaps around 1m, winning at Leopardstown and placing in premier handicaps at the Curragh and Leopardstown. Although the handicapper seemed to have caught up at Galway, he “remains very much of interest here”. The Spotlight Verdict suggests this “slight drop in trip may suit the front-running 3yo MISSISSIPPI RIVER”.
  • Marlborough Place: A lightly raced 3yo, he showed promising debut in a Curragh maiden and confirmed that promise in a Limerick maiden, making most of the running. While his “form looks ordinary enough,” he “may well have more to offer”. The yard notably won this race last year.

4.00 Coolmore Stud No Nay Never Fairy Bridge Stakes (Group 3) (Fillies & Mares) (7½f)

• TimeWise Top 2 Rated:
  • Copacabana Sands (3, 9-5h): Total TimeWise Rating of 373.
  • Princess Child (4, 9-7t): Total TimeWise Rating of 365.
• Assessment of Chances:
  • Copacabana Sands: Displayed ability last season and has shown consistent progression. She was a promising second on stable/seasonal debut, followed by an encouraging Group 3 fifth. She won a 7f Naas Listed race in May and confirmed her progression with a 7f Leopardstown Group 3 win in June. She “can continue on the upgrade” and is tipped by the Spotlight Verdict to “have too much firepower”.
  • Princess Child: Secured three wins in Spain in 2023 and was placed in four Listed races last year. She achieved career-best form at the Galway festival, finishing a strong-finishing short-head second in a 7f fillies’ Listed race, despite being short of room. She then made amends with a significant handicap win. The Spotlight Verdict suggests she “may prove the pick of the older fillies”.

4.30 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Abergwaun Stakes (Listed Race) (5f)

• TimeWise Top 2 Rated:
  • King Cuan (4, 9-7): Total TimeWise Rating of 367.
  • Two Stars (5, 9-10): Total TimeWise Rating of 356.
• Assessment of Chances:
  • King Cuan: A winner of four of his seven races, he is running over 5f for the first time. He is “capable of holding his own” based on his third-place finish in a competitive 6f Listed race at the Curragh nine weeks ago. The Spotlight Verdict considers him “another possibility”.
  • Two Stars: A “very useful sprint handicapper” last season, he won off a mark of 91 on his seasonal debut and then received an 8lb rise for beating My Mate Alfie in a Listed race at Naas in April. He is suited by soft ground, and his prospects would be “enhanced if the forecast rain arrives”. The Spotlight Verdict highlights that the “weather forecast indicates a possible easing in the ground that could help to bring the best out in Two Stars”.

5.00 Breens Farm Machinery Apprentice Handicap (1m1f)

• TimeWise Top 2 Rated:
  • Jasmine Affanalis (3, 9-13h): Total TimeWise Rating of 224.
  • Shuyak (3, 8-13h1): Total TimeWise Rating of 196.
• Assessment of Chances:
  • Jasmine Affanalis: With two seconds to her name this season (Limerick, Killarney), she has shown winning potential. Despite meeting some trouble in running at Limerick, she has “stronger credentials than most here”. The Spotlight Verdict makes her the (nap) selection, stating she “makes most appeal in a race of modest standard”.
  • Shuyak: Took a “step in the right direction” with a fourth-place finish over 7f at Gowran last month. A hood is applied, which “may help her cause since she showed a tendency to hang to the right.” She “has an edge over Petite Madame on that running”. The Spotlight Verdict suggests she “may reverse form with runner-up Petite Madame”.

5.30 Home & Agri Energy Handicap (1m4½f)

• TimeWise Top 2 Rated:
  • Dream Escape (6, 9-5): Total TimeWise Rating of 258.
  • Slieve Bearnagh (8, 8-12): Total TimeWise Rating of 242.
• Assessment of Chances:
  • Dream Escape: Her sole win in 23 starts was in a heavy-ground maiden in 2023. She was placed over hurdles and achieved a fair fifth on the Flat last time out, but “more needed” here. She is considered by her stable to have a better chance than Super Exceed. The Spotlight Verdict, however, primarily focuses on other contenders for the win.
  • Slieve Bearnagh: Has been “consistent this year,” including a third-place finish over the Course & Distance despite encountering trouble in running. She is considered “shortlist material if making the line-up”. While not the top pick in the Spotlight Verdict, she is noted as a potential challenger.