Superficial

(Andrew McNamara)

Listowel, September 22nd

The one-mile-three-furlong handicap for three-year-olds at Listowel on Monday was a messy affair, with one of the leading fancies, Justenzia, clipping heels and coming down - bringing 3/1 favourite Chica Guerrera down with her. Losing those two from the race obviously softened things up a little, but the run of the third-placed Superficial was promising in its own right.

After getting away on decent terms, he was allowed to slip back in the field and that may have counted against him as he was making up ground hand over fist late on with a wide challenge - finishing faster than anything through the final three furlongs (as per Coursetrack’s sectionals). He was only beaten three quarters of a length and didn’t run badly at all on his previous start when fifth at Galway. He’s been raised 2lb to a mark of 69, so should be able to open his account while still remaining in this 70-benchmark grade. He’s got a useful pedigree too, the Galileo Chrome colt being a half-brother to Irish St Leger winner Al Riffa.

Redemption Road

(David Marnane)

Listowel, September 23rd

There appeared to be a massive front-running pace bias throughout Tuesday’s flat card, with every winner on the day racing close to the lead or in front. With that dynamic in mind, there are definitely grounds for upgrading the run of Redemption Road in the two-year-old rated race over a mile that was won by Limestone.

The MRC International-owned gelding sat in last for much of the journey and finished out in a faster time through the final three furlongs than anything in the race, but he just failed in second behind a rival who had shaped with plenty of promise in two good maidens to start his career.

The pair finished seven and a half lengths clear of the rest and a 7lb rise to 91 for the Tipperary maiden winner looks fair, considering he was trying to give the winner 6lb too. He has a future at a decent level and looks well bought at €22,000 out of Book 2 of last year’s Orby Sale.

Bearami Creek

(Peter Fahey)

Listowel, September 24th

Another horse to come home nicely from off the pace without quite winning at Listowel this week was Bearami Creek in Wednesday’s two-mile-two-furlong handicap hurdle for horses rated 100 or less. Peter Fahey’s team took a chance on running the five-year-old mare back quickly under a 7lb penalty for winning at Navan the previous Saturday - due to go up 9lb so technically 2lb well in - and it wasn’t far from paying off. She was always behind the winner, who probably got first run and quickened up a little better when the tempo lifted, but the relatively lightly-raced mare did stay finding quite well to keep on into fourth. The handicapper has left her on a mark of 99 after this showing, and staying within the 0-100 category means she should be able to win another one of these races before exiting the grade. She’s got a decent pedigree, being a sister to last season’s Grade 2 River Don Novices’ Hurdle third/Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle seventh (of 20 runners) Ma Shantou and a 145-rated chaser in France.

We Be Grand

(Eric McNamara)

Listowel, September 25th

There was a fair bit of chat about several runners ahead of the four-year-old bumper on Thursday, a race that has been won in recent years by the likes of Drop The Anchor, Soviet Pimpernel and Jesse Evans. Mister Pessimistic looked a smart winner to note for the future for Henry de Bromhead, though further back in the field in fifth, the Eric McNamara-trained We Be Grand shaped with promise in his own right.

A €22,000 store purchase by Shirocco, this was a big step forward from what he showed on his debut when filling the same position at Roscommon. He rattled home under Ray Barron and would have finished even closer but for getting hampered approaching the final furlong when getting up a head of steam.

His yard may peak their runners for this meeting, but the unexposed nature of this four-year-old means he should be able to improve to win his share of races into the future.