4:15 Listowel
The 4:15 Listowel is the Guinness Kerry National Handicap Steeplechase, a Grade 3 Class 1 contest over 2m7f180y on good ground with a field of 21. It features a clutch of high-class performers on official ratings, most of whom are stepping up in trip while carrying strong recent form. The KTB Fit Scores are tightly bunched at the top, with Will The Wise heading the list on 67, followed closely by Perceval Legallois and King Alexander on 66, underlining a race of genuine depth and few obvious weak links.
How the race shapes up
The pace shape lacks a clear leader and points to a steadily-run, tactical affair in which being handy should pay dividends. With the vast majority of the field, including all five principals, preferring to be held up and produce their efforts late, the race is likely to develop into a sprint for the line from around the second-last. The key question is which of these closers can best negotiate the steady gallop and deliver their challenge at the right moment without finding the leaders having too much of a head start.
The KTB Fit ranking
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1Will The Wise KTB Selection67/100
Will The Wise is a high-class performer with strong ratings and a solid recent record that includes a win last season. He steps up in trip today having already placed over this distance without winning, while his placed effort on good ground suggests the surface will be fine. Trainer and jockey both hold an 11% strike rate at Listowel from sizeable samples, though this is the horse's first run at the track. Usually held up and producing his effort late, he should be well suited by the steadily-run affair the pace shape suggests. Recent form figures read 4021-0 and he comes here as the KTB Selection with a Fit Score of 67.
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2Perceval Legallois66/100
Perceval Legallois is a high-class performer with a solid record when the race is run to suit. He has placed over this trip before and showed he handles good ground, though his recent form is patchy with two pull-ups in his last three starts. Trainer strikes at 11% here while the horse himself has been placed once from two runs at Listowel. Usually held up and producing his effort late with high confidence, he should find the steadily-run pace to his liking. His trainer-jockey combination reads 1-7 and he arrives with a KTB Fit Score of 66.
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3King Alexander66/100
King Alexander is a high-class performer with a strong recent win and solid placed form at this level. He steps up in trip having already won over today's distance, and his record on good ground reads well with four wins from ten starts. Trainer has a 19% strike rate at Listowel from a big sample while the jockey is operating at 6%. Usually held up and producing his effort late with high confidence, he will be well suited by the tactical nature of the race. Recent form reads 3146-1 and he carries a KTB Fit Score of 66.
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4Downmexicoway65/100
Downmexicoway is a high-class performer with strong recent form including a win and two places from his last four starts. He steps up in trip today as a fresh question while having no wins or places from two runs on good ground. Trainer has a solid 15% strike rate at Listowel from a large sample but the jockey is operating at 9% here. Usually held up and producing his effort late with high confidence, he should appreciate the steady tempo. His recent form figures are 2134-5 and the KTB Fit Score is 65.
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5Conyers Hill63/100
Conyers Hill is a high-class performer with solid recent form including two seconds this season. He steps up in trip today having already placed over this distance without winning, while the good ground has seen him finish placed twice from three starts. Trainer holds a 9% strike rate from 185 runs at Listowel and the jockey is operating at 14% from 37 rides here. Usually held up and producing his effort late with high confidence, he fits the shape of a race that should play to closers. Recent form reads F52-22 and he is rated 63 on the KTB Fit Score.
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6Funiculi Funicula63/100
Funiculi Funicula is a high-class performer from the Mullins yard who arrives off the back of a winless but solid recent spell that includes two placed efforts on good ground. The step up in trip today poses a fresh question while this is also his first run at Listowel. Trainer and jockey both hold strong records at the track and he is usually held up.
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7Ol Man Dingle63/100
Ol Man Dingle is high-class on ratings and race history and arrives in decent form after a win and a placed effort in his last three starts. He steps up in trip today having been placed at this distance without winning, while he has been competitive on good ground without scoring. The yard records a 9% strike rate from 79 runs at Listowel and he typically settles in midfield.
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8Jesse Evans62/100
Jesse Evans is a high-class performer with a solid recent record and strong course connections having won both starts here. He steps up in trip today for the first time which asks a fresh question of him at the age of ten. Trainer has a 10% strike rate from 329 runs at Listowel while the jockey also has experience at the track and he is usually held up.
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9Meet And Greet61/100
Meet And Greet is a high-class performer with strong ratings and a solid race history behind him. He has placed at this trip without winning and showed he handles good ground when placed on his only start on it, though he has never run at Listowel before. The trainer holds a 12% strike rate from 34 runs at the track and he is usually held up.
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10French Dynamite59/100
French Dynamite is a high-class performer with strong placed efforts in recent seasons and solid course connections at Listowel where he has finished third and fourth. He steps up in trip today having already won over this distance in the past though his record on good ground is only modest with one win from eight starts. The trainer's modest 5% strike-rate at the track from a large sample tempers expectations and he is usually held up.
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11Nowwhatdoyouthink59/100
Nowwhatdoyouthink is a high-class performer with a solid recent record of 1213-4 and strong backing from ratings and history. He steps up in trip today having failed to win in one previous try at this distance while his sole run here produced a modest seventh. Trainer has a 13% strike rate from 325 runs at Listowel and the jockey is on 11% from 90 rides and he is usually held up.
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12Doctor Ken58/100
Doctor Ken is a high-class performer with strong recent form including a win at this trip from just two attempts. He has two wins and five places from six runs on good ground and the ratings back him up solidly. Trainer's modest 5% strike rate at Listowel from a large sample is a clear negative and he is usually held up while stepping up in class.
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13You Oughta Know57/100
You Oughta Know is a high-class performer with strong ratings and a solid history behind him. He has won twice from three starts on good ground and the yard has a 19% strike rate at Listowel from a huge sample. He steps up in trip today having failed to win in four previous tries at this distance while his only run here ended in a fall and he is usually held up.
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14Look To The West56/100
Look To The West is high-class on his day with a recent win to go with solid earlier form. He steps up markedly in trip today while making his first appearance at Listowel and remains unproven on good ground. First-time headgear is another unknown and he is usually held up.
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15Uncle Pat56/100
Uncle Pat is a high-class performer with strong recent form including two seconds this season. He has won at this track from two runs and the yard's solid 19% strike-rate at Listowel adds confidence. Trip looks a question mark as he is yet to win over this distance in two tries, while his record on good ground is only fair and he typically settles in midfield.
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16Ballygunner Castle53/100
Ballygunner Castle is a high-class performer from the Mullins yard who has been competitive at a high level and arrives with strong ratings to back him up. He steps up in trip today having failed to land a blow in three previous tries at this distance while his only run on good ground brought no reward. Trainer holds a solid 19% strike-rate here from a huge sample while the jockey is operating at 10% and he is usually held up.
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17A Penny A Hundred53/100
A Penny A Hundred is a high-class performer with strong recent form including a second last time out. He steps up in trip today having already won at this distance from limited attempts while showing solid ability on good ground with two wins and six places from eight runs. Trainer holds a 19% strike rate at Listowel from a large sample yet this is the horse's first run at the track and he is usually held up.
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18Spread Boss Ted52/100
Spread Boss Ted is a high-class performer from a yard with a solid 19% strike rate at Listowel from a large sample. Recent form is mixed and he was well beaten on his latest start, though he has shown ability on good ground with a win and a place from three runs. He steps up in trip today having failed to win in two previous attempts at this distance and is usually held up.
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19Kings Hill51/100
Kings Hill is a high-class performer with solid recent form including two wins this year. He steps up in trip today having failed to win in two previous attempts at this distance and makes his first appearance at Listowel. Trainer operates at a 7% strike rate from 75 runs here while the horse has won once from five starts on good ground and he is usually held up.
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20Weveallbeencaught48/100
Weveallbeencaught is a high-class performer on his day with strong ratings and history to back him up. He has course experience here though only a modest fourth on his sole visit and his trainer's record at Listowel is poor at 5 percent from 527 runs. He drops back from 3m5f to a trip he has won over before while the jockey's 7 percent strike rate at the track is also below average and he is usually held up.
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21Yoradreamer48/100
Yoradreamer is a high-class performer with strong ratings and race history behind him. He has been placed once from seven starts on good ground and has twice tackled this trip without success. Mullins has a 19% strike rate from 754 runs at Listowel while this is the horse's first run here and he is usually held up.
KTB verdict
Will The Wise is the KTB Selection. A high-class performer with strong ratings and a solid recent record that includes a win last season, he steps up in trip having already placed over the distance and looks at home on good ground. Trainer and jockey both hold an 11% strike rate at Listowel from sizeable samples, and his held-up style should be ideally suited to the steadily-run affair that is anticipated. The main dangers are Perceval Legallois, who has a solid record when the race is run to suit and course placings to his name, and King Alexander, who brings a recent win, a good record on good ground and a previous success over the trip.
KTB Selection Will The Wise
Morning odds
Best available price per runner, captured 00:00 UTC, 23 Sep. These are a morning snapshot and will have moved — see the live racecard for current prices.
| Runner | Morning price | Bookmaker |
|---|---|---|
| Will The Wise | 14/1 | William Hill |
| Perceval Legallois | 40/1 | William Hill |
| King Alexander | 13/2 | BetTom |
| Downmexicoway | 5/1 | Coral |
| Conyers Hill | 9/1 | William Hill |
| Funiculi Funicula | 13/2 | Bet365 |
| Ol Man Dingle | 18/1 | Bet365 |
| Jesse Evans | 40/1 | William Hill |
| Meet And Greet | 40/1 | BetTom |
| French Dynamite | 16/1 | BetTom |
| Nowwhatdoyouthink | 9/2 | BetTom |
| Doctor Ken | 25/1 | BetTom |
| You Oughta Know | 50/1 | Bet365 |
| Look To The West | 40/1 | William Hill |
| Uncle Pat | 22/1 | BetTom |
| Ballygunner Castle | 16/1 | Bet365 |
| A Penny A Hundred | 25/1 | William Hill |
| Spread Boss Ted | 25/1 | Bet365 |
| Kings Hill | 9/1 | Bet365 |
| Weveallbeencaught | 22/1 | BetTom |
| Yoradreamer | 40/1 | William Hill |
This is the narrative read of the 4:15 Listowel. For the live card — runner-by-runner stats, the full Fit Score breakdown and current odds — see the Listowel racecard. Every result we hold for the track is on the Listowel results & records page. New here? How KTB works explains the Fit Score and why we publish both.
Questions about this race
Which horse has the strongest trainer record at Listowel in this field?
W. P. Mullins with a 19% strike rate from 754 runs.
How many of the principals have previous placed form over today's trip?
Three: Will The Wise, Perceval Legallois and Conyers Hill.
Which horse has won both its previous starts at Listowel?
Jesse Evans.
Who is the only horse in the field wearing first-time headgear?
Look To The West.
Which jockey has the best strike rate at Listowel among those with a meaningful sample in this race?
Paul Townend with a 23% strike rate from 244 rides.
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