Listowel Day 5: Lucky 15 Tips Day four of Listowel's week-long Harvest Festival meeting features a seven-race Jumps card. Highlights of the day include challenging maiden hurdles, where last season's bumper performers debut over obstacles, as well as a highly competitive Beginners Chase that could set the tone, for some, for the rest of the season. The action kicks off at 2.15 before the finale at 5.45 and George Bonds has provided selections and analysis for a Lucky 15 on Thursday’s card. Check out the best Listowel Harvest Festival betting offers. Thursday’s Lucky 15 tips at Listowel 14:15 - Aruntothequeen 15:25 - Messerschmitt 16:35 - Malina Girl 17:10 - Sandor Clegane 14:15 - Aruntothequeen The first race at Listowel is a competitive maiden race that features some exciting horses who performed well in National Hunt flat races last campaign, including listed bumper winner Aruntothequeen. That win in October has turned out to be a good piece of form as she claimed victory over Declan Queally’s Mozzies Sister. Queally’s charge later went on to finish third in the Grade 1 Nathaniel Lacy Novice Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival, beating subsequent Albert Bartlett winner Jasmin de Vaux in the process. While some other horses in the race come here having competed well in grouped races last year, Aruntothequeen has the additional benefit of having a run over hurdles. While she exhibited her inexperience at Cork last time out, she should come a long way with that run under her belt and has a good chance to build on it here. 15:25 - Messerschmitt This listed handicap hurdle is the feature of the day and includes the 2024 Fred Winter winner Puturhandstogether highlighting the competitiveness of this race. However with the Festival winner currently out of form, the selection goes to one of two runners for Noel Meade in Messerschmitt. Meade’s four-year-old arrives here in good form having finished less than a length third in a handicap hurdle at the Galway Festival and followed up with a very close second to the highly regarded Zanahiyr over the flat at Bellewstown last time out. It seems to be softer the better for this horse and he’ll also enjoy the added benefit of continuing his partnership with Michael Kennerally who claims a handy 7lb. 16:35 - Malina Girl Gavin Cromwell holds a strong hand in this race with three runners and a case can be made for all of them. Despite favoured jockey Keith Donoghue opting for Noticebox, Malina Girl under 7lb claimer Eoghan Finegan could have a huge say in this contest. Predominantly a chaser, Malina Girl displayed her quality when finishing an impressive third in the Ultima at the Cheltenham Festival. She then followed that up with a lacklustre performance in the Irish National with a lot going wrong for her that day. However, she arrives here 30lb lower than her latest Chase mark and there is no denying the quality she possesses. 17:10 - Sandor Clegane While many in this race are inexperienced over fences, that won’t be the case for Sandor Clegane, who can put his experience over the larger obstacles to good use in this competitive contest. Paul Nolan’s charge arrives to this beginners' chase with very strong pieces of form, having run in Grade 1 novice chase events at both the Cheltenham and Punchestown Festivals in 2024. He may have needed the run last time out when finishing seventh at the Galway Festival and should improve for that run with the softer conditions underfoot this afternoon. Connections may have hoped for bigger and better things, however, he is a horse who exhibits a strong level of ability and can put in a good performance here at Listowel.
