Down Royal

The most experienced horse in the field by a distance — 45 races compared to a field average of 13 — Spirit Of Eagles is also the only course winner here, having won over this exact course and distance. That's a meaningful edge in a tight race, and a third place here 28 days ago followed by a win at Fairyhouse 50 days ago shows the six-year-old is in decent nick, though her overall record of two wins from 45 races is a reminder she needs things to fall right.

Fourteen races and still no win — Viamonte is one of two horses in this field yet to break their duck despite a long career, alongside the even more experienced Spirit Of Eagles. To be fair, half of those 14 races have ended in a placed finish, so this horse is rarely far away, but fourth at Bellewstown two weeks ago shows there's still a gap to bridge.

The longest absence in the field — Raven's Call hasn't raced in 282 days, which is a significant question mark hanging over this three-year-old's chance. Three career races have produced no wins and no placed finishes, with the best effort a fifth, so there's very little in the record to go on even before accounting for the long layoff.

Back for a second run in six days, Spirit Above is a three-year-old who ran a promising second here at Down Royal just seven weeks ago — beaten only a third of a length — but was then beaten nine lengths at Limerick last week, which clouds the picture somewhat. Eight races without a win makes the overall record modest, but that near-miss at this course is at least a reason to think he can be competitive here.

Rated 11lbs below the field average, Snowballs carries the lowest weight in the race but is also the lowest-rated runner by a clear margin — a gap that weight alone is unlikely to bridge. Eleven races without a win and a recent ninth at Limerick make this one of the harder horses to recommend, and at 26/1, the market agrees.

Despite being flagged as the top-rated horse in the field on the editorial figures, Shamanka has never won in nine career races and her recent form includes a 17th and a 13th before a fourth here at Down Royal last month. At 15/1 — having drifted significantly — the market is sending a clear message, and with no wins to her name, she needs to find something she hasn't yet shown.

Practical Move hasn't raced in 185 days and arrives as one of the longer-priced horses in the field at 34/1, which reflects a record of no wins and just one placed finish from six career races. The last two runs produced a 12th and a 9th, beaten well over 13 lengths on each occasion, making it hard to find a compelling case here.