The Names Jock

(J.E. Kiely)

This five-year-old appeals as one of the most interesting and likely contenders for Monday night’s feature.

To date, he is a three-time winner over trips ranging from a mile to 10 furlongs but his latest performance at Leopardstown indicated that a step up to two miles for this assignment wasn’t going to present him with a major difficulty.

That last outing came just over two weeks ago in an amateur rider’s conditions race which was run over a trip just short of two miles.

The Names Jock posted by far his best effort of the season to split the winner, Ever Present, and the 100-rated Shoshone Warrior.

The form already looks quite solid with Ever Present failing by just half a length to justify a mark of 95 on his handicap debut last weekend.

Admittedly The Names Jock did pick up a stinging 8lbs rise in the weights for his efforts at Leopardstown, but that may not be enough to prevent him from playing a leading role and quite possibly he has more to offer at this distance.

Sea Appeal

(Ms. S. Lavery)

Earlier in the season the Mondy’s 60-90-rated three-year-old handicap over a mile and a half would have looked a stiff enough assignment for Sea Appeal. However, Sheila Lavery’s charge appealed as a horse on the up at Killarney earlier this month and there may yet be more to come from him as he moves up in grade and trip.

After struggling to make an impression in maidens, this son of Fastnet Rock has shown steady progression with each handicap outing and he followed a second to Female Approach at Limerick last month with a dominant display at Killarney last week.

On that occasion he bolted up in a three-year-old handicap over 11 furlongs and that form received a minor boost when one of the second-place finishers (dead heat for second) won at Ballinrobe earlier this week.

Sea Appeal is stepping up in grade on Monday and this race will demand more than Killarney but appeals as being able to take another jumper forward over this longer trip.

Soaring Monarch

(P. Fahey)

At present it is far from certain that he will get a starting berth in Tuesday’s Colm Quinn BMW Mile but wherever he goes next week this gelding should be followed closely as he has already shown quite a liking for the demands of Galway.

Last year he ran twice at the Galway Festival and for one with comparatively little experience he shaped well on both occasions.

He was second to Talking Tough in a three-year-old handicap over seven furlongs on the opening day of the meeting and showed up well over a mile five days later when chasing home Next In Line.

He has run just three times since last year’s meeting and his only outing this season yielded a smooth success in a seven-furlong handicap at Roscommon in May.

Evidently connections have since opted to keep him under wraps for Galway and he warrants the utmost respect wherever he turns out at Ballybrit.

His Roscommon run suggests good progress from three to four, and he is a horse with realistic ambitions at premier handicap level.

Royal Rendezvous

(W.P. Mullins)

After winning the Plate with Blazing Tempo a decade, ago Willie Mullins has endured a somewhat frustrating run since then and the last six years have yielded five runner-up finishers for the champion trainer.

One of those second-placed horses is Royal Rendezvous who got to within three-parts of a length of Early Doors a year ago.

It would appear as though the Plate has been foremost amongst his plans since then as the King’s Theatre gelding has run just twice since.

His first run since the Plate is best ignored as it came in a handicap chase at the Punchestown Festival that got off to a shambolic start which compromised the chances of a number of runners and it would be unwise to read too much into his 11th placing there.

The following month at Ballinrobe, he took full advantage of a straightforward opportunity when making all the running in a conditions hurdle and connections have opted to keep him under wraps since then.

After just six runs over fences and a dozen career appearances in all, this nine-year-old could well be open to a little more improvement. However, a repeat of last year’s Plate performance, for which he is 7lbs higher, could suffice.

Band Of Outlaws

(J.P. O’Brien)

A former winner of the Fred Winter at Cheltenham who boasts strong course-and-distance form, this six-year-old can be relied upon to play a major role in this year’s Guinness Galway Hurdle if putting his best foot forward.

Back in 2019, just a couple of months after ending the previous season as one of the standout four-year-old hurdlers in the country, this gelding ran a superb race to be beaten just a length and a quarter into third by Tudor City in this race.

There followed a lengthy spell on the side-lines and it was only in May that Band Of Outlaws made his return to the track when catching the eye with a decent third to Pepperoni Pete in a Naas handicap which has produced a number of subsequent winners. He was then tried over hurdles in a Grade 3 at Tipperary at the start of this month and ran a long way below his best when finishing sixth to Sole Pretender.

However, that run doesn’t reflect what he is capable of at his best and his Naas run suggested all his ability was intact so if he puts it altogether here he must have a major chance.