Deluca Chop

(Shane Duffy)

Navan, July 15th

Deluca Chop ran better than the bare result of a fifth place finish to Mr Mills in a 10-furlong handicap at Navan suggests. Shane Duffy’s gelding raced up with the pace for much of the contest and though giving way to challenges on either side in the last two furlongs, he was the only horse in the top five who raced from a prominent position.

He clearly stays well and this was his second decent effort in a row, having finished in the same position over a mile and a half at Tipperary previously. A return to that trip might well suit him but in any case, he looks to competitively handicapped off a mark of 53, having previously held a rating of 71. (RG)

Nordic Passage

(Johnny Levins)

Navan, July 15th

Nordic Passage is running himself back into form with his latest effort to finish fourth at Navan is another step in the right direction. The eight-year-old gelding was held up as usual and this time was able to mount a significant challenge, briefly looking threatening at the furlong pole, but eventually beaten by a length and a half by Shoebox King, the front four coming clear. He isn’t the horse he once was, having peaked at a rating of 96, but there is surely another race in him now off a mark of 67. He may not need soft ground, but a lot of his better wins are on that surface, and tougher conditions probably help his run style, slowing down other horses in the latter stages of races where he is often doing his best work. (RG)

Bladon

(Kevin Coleman)

Killarney, July 17th

Considering he gave away significant ground at the start when slowly into stride, this nicely-bred juvenile by Churchill made a perfectly satisfactory debut when seventh in a 13-runner mile maiden at Killarney. He had a fair deal on his plate from off the pace but came home nicely and should be all the better for this experience. A €35,000 yearling purchase, he has a decent pedigree as a son of Group 3-winning mare Duchess Andorra. (MB)

Status Green

(Joe Murphy)

Killarney, July 17th

A first win in handicap company shouldn’t be too far away for this lightly raced three-year-old, who caught the eye staying on strongly when fourth of nine runners over a mile at Killarney. By Le Havre, he seems to appreciate a little ease underfoot and came home stronger than anything else late in the day here. Expect him to take some beating off a mark of 66 when stepping up to a mile and a quarter on easy ground - especially if kept to his own age group. (MB)

Eastmore

(Kevin Prendergast)

Killarney, July 17th

This gelding by Awtaad looks well bought by Kevin Prendergast at just €22,000 from Shadwell and a middle-distance maiden should fall his way before the season is out. He traded as short as 1/2 in the in-running markets when taking up the running but was worn down late on by a couple of stout-looking stayers over a mile and three furlongs. This was his second solid effort in a row and he might just be getting the hang of things. (MB)

Macinamillion

(Gavin Cromwell)

Killarney, July 17th

There was a promising step in the right direction from this Gavin Cromwell-trained three-year-old on his second appearance in handicap company when third in a 15-runner contest over a mile and three furlongs. It was a slightly messy race for the 55-rated performer but the manner in which he stayed on suggested he’s well up to winning a similar race. He may well have even got off the mark here if getting rolling earlier. By Markaz, the slight cut in the ground appeared to do him no harm. (MB)

Turbulence

(Ross O’Sullivan)

Killarney, July 18th

Another beaten handicapper who didn’t entirely get the rub of the green at the Killarney July Festival was lightly raced six-year-old Turbulence, who made decent late gains when fourth in a competitive 15-runner handicap over a mile. This 72-rated operator had to wait for sufficient daylight to appear in the straight but he kept on well to get within a length and a quarter of the winner. He has the ability to win off a mark in the low 70s. (MB)

Darkened

(Denis Hogan)

Killarney, July 19th

Darkened put up probably his best performance of the season when coming from the pace to take third when dropping back in trip for a mile handicap at Killarney on Wednesday evening. Denis Hogan’s seven-year-old was only beaten a length and a half from Chimeric and he now looks in great shape for a return to Galway, where he won at the festival last season and where his all round form figures read: 2210144. He will have plenty of options over the seven-day festival and expect to see him at least twice. (RG)

Quickstepping

(Natalia Lupini)

Leopardstown, July 20th

The seven-furlong maiden won by Caught U Looking at Leopardstown on Thursday may well turn out to be a hot contest through the impressive winner but also those in behind her. Both the second and third, Stromberg and Mo Ghille Mear, represented top stables and very much ran with credit on their debuts, but the run of the Natalia Lupini-trained Quickstepping in fourth might well go under the radar. Ronan Whelan had to harry this colt to hold his position in mid division from an early stage and he looked beat just under two furlongs from home, but the late gains he made inside the final furlong to grab fourth on the line make him deserving of plenty of credit. He has lots of scope to improve now should he feel any sort of benefit from this experience and he should be able to get more competitive next time. (RG)

Speckled Meadow

(Don Browne)

Leopardstown, July 15th

The rain that got into the ground midway through the card at Leopardstown certainly played to the strengths of Speckled Meadow, but even that aside, there was a lot to like about how she was able to make up a significant amount of ground to only go down by a half-length to Eastern Wind in a seven-furlong handicap. She started her race slowly and really shouldn’t have been able to get as close to the winner as she did, so this run deserves plenty of marking up. She was progressive last season for Terence O’Brien, winning twice, including once at Galway, and she looks to have continued that improvement now under the care of Don Browne. Soft ground is important to her, but on this evidence she looks well capable of scoring off her current mark of 65. (RG)