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Sligo preview

Tawseef, rightTawseef, right
© Photo Healy Racing

Colin Bowe looks to have found a good opportunity for Tawseef to get off the mark in the Kilcawley Construction Sligo Maiden Hurdle at the Connacht track.

This will be the six-year-old gelding's ninth maiden hurdle outing. He has accrued four places and those allied to the form of his sixth place to Most Peculiar at the Galway Festival look a cut above what his rivals have mustered. He is comfortably the highest rated on a mark of 119. Newton Bomb was touched off by a short head here just under two weeks ago and bids for compensation in the Irish Stallion Farms European Breeders Fund Median Auction Maiden over the extended six furlongs. Willie McCreery tries a hood on her third run. Tagg's Island and Not Really have shown enough to suggest they can be dangerous. Right First s chances in Tipperary were ruined by a slipped saddle in the last quarter of a mile. She took credit from only being beaten three-and-a-half-lengths into fifth place. Considering she had been placed in her previous three outings, she should put up a bold show for David Wachman and Wayne Lordan in the Sligo GAA 19th August Race Day At Sligo Handicap (Div 1).

In division two of that race Mick Halford supplies Red Laser and he has a solid chance for the trainer who saddled a double at Dundalk On Sunday. The five-year-old gelding is a polytrack specialist, but ran well on fast ground at Roscommon when second in July. Off the same rating of 58 he has to be tempting. He won off 63 on turf last summer in Gowran Park.

Johnny Murtagh 's Corona Borealis has two runner-up finishes to his name from five appearances and goes in the mile-and-a-quarter-maiden. He sports first-time cheekpieces. There are though plenty of potential improvers lurking in the field especially Jim Bolger's Ring Chief and Dermot Weld's Next Bend (who is tried in a visor).

Weld's Keyboard Melody will be fancied to go one better in the apprentice handicap. Leigh Roche takes the ride on this grey son of Verglas, who was second at Ballinrobe a week ago.

The Sligo Park Hotel Handicap Hurdle over two-and-a-half-miles is fiercely competitive. Bowe has prospects with Milan Ridge but Kinneagh Cross was narrowly beaten in Wexford and may collect. He is partnered by Mark Walsh who is having a storming season. The Two Jays and Johnston's Best are among a plethora with chances. Donatis Comet will be hard to beat in the concluding maiden hurdle if in the same mood as when third of 20 to Beckwith Star at the Galway Festival.