Here is an expert preview of the 4:55 race at Clonmel.

Race Preview: 4:55 Botanica International Handicap Chase

This is a competitive handicap chase over 2 miles and 4 furlongs, and it’s a tricky puzzle to solve, with many runners coming in with questions to answer. The ground is Good-to-Yielding, which should suit most of these.

Here is a runner-by-runner analysis:

1. Jasmin De Cotte (11-12) The top-weight and, on his best day, arguably the class horse in the field, boasting a peak RPR of 125. However, his profile is described as “patchy,” and he’s coming off a heavy fall at the first fence at Listowel. That’s a major concern, and he needs to put that behind him.

2. Ceroc (11-9) His recent form is poor, having been pulled up at Listowel last time out. More importantly, the NOTE-BOOK entry from his Limerick run states he “lost… ground jumping to his left” and “surely needs to return to a left-handed track.” Clonmel is a right-handed track, which makes this a very difficult assignment for him.

3. The Dara Man (11-9) This 10-year-old veteran has seen better days. His recent form figures are dire (PU, 11, PU, UR), and he unseated his rider last time out. It’s very difficult to make a case for him.

4. Whateys Quest (11-9) While his trainer, C Byrnes, is in excellent form (100% rtf%), the horse was tailed off at Galway last time. His win in December ’24 came over a longer trip, and he may find this a bit sharp.

5. Jouster (11-7) Another from an in-form yard (Paul W Flynn, 50% rtf%). However, he ran very poorly over hurdles just nine days ago. He is a previous chase winner, but he needs to bounce back significantly from that last effort.

6. Person Of Interest (11-4) An interesting contender. This 5-year-old is lightly raced and was an authoritative 12-length winner at Downpatrick in August. He was pulled up on his other two recent starts, so consistency is a major issue. If he’s on a “going” day, he is dangerously handicapped.

7. Ollie La Ba Ba (11-2) He comes into this race with winning momentum, having won over hurdles at Listowel last month. That’s a big positive. His chase form is less convincing (two starts, one fall), but he races here off a mark 7lbs lower than his hurdles rating, which could make him very competitive if he takes to the fences.

8. Spellacy’s Cross (10-8) This looks to be the horse to beat. He is in prime form, having just won over a similar trip at this track 21 days ago. He showed a good attitude that day, and the form book notes he is “ground-versatile.” He carries a very light weight (10-8) and a 3lb rise for that victory looks more than fair. He ticks all the boxes for course form, recent form, and weight.

9. Doyen Magic (10-6) The lowest-rated horse in the race. She won well on her chase debut back in July but has failed to back that up, unseating her rider and then finishing a well-beaten 7th. She needs to find significant improvement.

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Conclusion and Selection

This race is likely to revolve around the horse with the best recent and course-specific form.

Spellacy’s Cross is the standout selection. He is a recent course winner, remains on a low weight, and is clearly in good heart. He should be hard to beat.

For an alternative, Ollie La Ba Ba is intriguing. He’s a last-time-out winner (albeit over hurdles) and is well-handicapped on his chase mark if his jumping holds up. The 5-year-old Person Of Interest is the “dark horse” who could run a huge race if he’s in the mood, as his Downpatrick win was impressive.