Ganglord Takes On Small Field In Ireland

Welcome to Ireland for this week’s feature, The Gone At Last Handicap. Today’s race is for 3yo fillies going six furlongs for a purse of $75,000. The turf has come up good due to recent rains. While the field may have come up a bit short with only five entrants, the runners are all top quality. All but one have won stakes races, and the favourite happens to be the #3 ranked turf sprinting filly. Let’s take a closer look at them.

On the rail at 2/1 is Exbourne’s Lookout (Elnadim x Seeking The Gold) owned by grade1win. She won her debut, and has gone on since then to win two stakes races and place in a third. She ran her top speed figure of 91 last time out, despite finishing fourth in that race. She has a frontrunning style and has drawn the services of L. Montgomery(2%) today.

In post two at 5/1 is Top Exsecutive (Lemon Drop Kid x Forty Niner) owned by bluelights. She may not have won a stakes yet, but she has placed in two of them. She also has three allowance victories. She ran her top speed figure of 85 in one of those wins. She also runs best on the lead, but has a better shot of getting it with A. Reed(15%) on board.

In post three at 8/1 is Luda (Lycius x Lure) owned by topgun. She placed in a stakes on dirt at her debut, but it wasn’t until she was switched over to turf that she began to show her true colours. She has won two stakes, and placed in two others, not counting her debut. Injured in her second start as a 3yo, she took two months off and came back last time out with a career high 85 speed figure while finishing third in a stakes race. Like the two before her, she wants to go to the front. A. Jones(20%) is having quite a good meet.

In post four is today’s favourite at 8/5, Ganglord (Devil’s Bag x Mr. Prospector), owned by simsters6. She is ranked #3 in the turf sprint division, and that’s after only six career starts! She won both of her races, both stakes, as a 2yo, before cementing her status with a victory in the Equinics. Since then, she has a second and a third, along with a poor showing last time out in the 1000 Guineas. That can be explained away by the apparent fact that she does not want to go a mile. Her 92 speed figure in the Equinics was outstanding, and it was also on yielding turf. As if that wasn’t enough to make her a deserving favourite, she also has a stalking style and top jock Z. Kentucky(20%) on board.

Rounding out the field at 5/2 is Well Awesome (Awesome Again x Sadler’s Wells) owned by alleds. She won her debut, and has won one stakes and placed in three others. Her top speed figure of 93 is the highest of any of the fillies in this race. Both of her wins have come at today’s distance. She is a closer, so look for her to drop behind the rest of the fillies and make a bold move in the stretch. If any of the ladies here are going to upset the favourite, she seems the most likely candidate. S. Collins(12%) is good enough to get it done.

That is our field. Will the three inside fillies get into a speed duel, leaving it open for the outside two to leave them behind in the stretch? Can Well Awesome fire big enough to get by Ganglord? Or will one of the others surprise everyone with a career effort? There’s only one way to find out. Good luck to all the runners, and may they all come home sound.