5:30 Leopardstown
This 5.30 Leopardstown contest is an Irish EBF Median Sires Series Fillies Maiden over 7f35y on soft ground, featuring a field of ten two-year-old fillies with limited racecourse experience between them. The KTB Fit scores are tightly bunched at the top, headed by Pisiffik Ginger on 54, with the next four principals all rated in the mid-40s, underlining how open the race appears on paper. With only two runners having seen a racecourse, the contest is very much about debut potential and pedigree, set against a soft surface that will test unproven stamina and adaptability.
How the race shapes up
The pace shape is unclear with low confidence, as there is not enough run-style evidence across the field to form a firm view. Pisiffik Ginger and Star Glory are both usually held up and tend to produce their efforts late, suggesting the race may not be strongly run early on. This lack of obvious pace could place an emphasis on those with the ability to quicken or stay on strongly in the latter stages, though the small sample of evidence leaves the exact shape open to question.
The KTB Fit ranking
- 1Pisiffik Ginger KTB Selection54/100Pisiffik Ginger showed fair form when finishing fourth on debut at Fairyhouse over 6f, staying on well at the end of the race.
- 2Dear Madam48/100Dear Madam is a Sottsass filly who fetched 21,000 euros as a foal.
- 3Cashel Queen45/100Cashel Queen is a newcomer from the powerful O'Brien yard who showed enough when beating Lily Bear in a 7f Naas barrier trial last month.
- 4Celtic Moon45/100Celtic Moon is a Thunder Moon filly who cost 20,000 euros as a yearling.
- 5Lily Bear45/100Lily Bear is a newcomer who cost 25,000 euros as a yearling and is a half-sister to several winners including the smart Solent Gateway.
- 6Spanish View45/100Spanish View is a newcomer from a yard that has yet to land a blow with its two-year-olds this term.
- 7Caoch The Piper43/100Caoch The Piper is a newcomer by Awtaad who cost 40,000 euros as a yearling.
- 8Cloughleagh Bridge43/100Cloughleagh Bridge is a newcomer from a yard that has struck at a 5% rate from 38 runs at Leopardstown.
- 9Epilogue41/100Epilogue is a newcomer by Awtaad out of a useful 1m-8.6f winner and half-sister to seven winners including high-class performer African Story.
- 10Star Glory40/100Star Glory showed something to work with when finishing never-nearer sixth of 12 on debut over 6f at the Curragh.
The contenders
Pisiffik Ginger KTB Fit 54/100
Pisiffik Ginger showed fair form when finishing fourth on debut at Fairyhouse over 6f, staying on well at the end of the race. The Cotai Glory filly steps up to 7f now which should suit her pedigree, though this is only her second run and the small sample means everything has to be taken with caution. Trainer Mrs John Harrington has a 9% strike rate at Leopardstown from 1817 runs while jockey Shane Foley operates at 11% from 991 rides here. She has no experience on soft ground and no course form on record, but her RPR of 76 and TS of 47 mark her out as having shown the best form in the field so far. Usually held up, she produces her effort late and the extra furlong looks a positive. Overall she is taken to build on that debut promise.
Dear Madam KTB Fit 48/100
Dear Madam is a Sottsass filly who fetched 21,000 euros as a foal. She is a half-sister to five winners including Galles and Longden on dirt and Golden Valour over 7f-10f. The yard's only other two-year-old runner this season won but the trainer has only three Leopardstown runs to date which is too small a sample to judge. By a sire with an 11% overall win rate, she represents a yard that has shown a 24% strike rate with its small number of runners this term when teaming up with Luke McAteer. With no RPR or Topspeed figures and no course win on record she remains unproven, yet her pedigree offers encouragement for the trip on soft ground. She is one of the more interesting debutants.
Cashel Queen KTB Fit 45/100
Cashel Queen is a newcomer from the powerful O'Brien yard who showed enough when beating Lily Bear in a 7f Naas barrier trial last month. She is a half-sister to a useful French middle-distance performer and her dam won over 6f to 7.5f. The trainer has an 11% strike rate at Leopardstown from 147 runs while jockey Gavin Ryan is operating at 6% from 266 rides here. By Supremacy, who has a 6% overall win rate, she holds a strong chance on the strength of that trial performance. Drawn in stall one, she could be well placed to track any pace that materialises. Connections will hope she can translate her barrier-trial promise to the racecourse on soft ground.
Celtic Moon KTB Fit 45/100
Celtic Moon is a Thunder Moon filly who cost 20,000 euros as a yearling. Her dam won over 10.5f and 1m3f while the family includes useful staying winners up to 2m5f. The yard is yet to strike with any of its 14 two-year-olds this season and this debutant arrives with no RPR or Topspeed figures to go on. By a sire with a 0% overall win rate from just two runners, she represents a yard with a 9% strike rate at Leopardstown from 435 runs. Jockey Jamie Powell has an 8% strike rate at the track from 99 rides. The staying pedigree may prove a plus over 7f but she remains very much an unknown on debut on soft ground.
Lily Bear KTB Fit 45/100
Lily Bear is a newcomer who cost 25,000 euros as a yearling and is a half-sister to several winners including the smart Solent Gateway. Her dam won up to 1m2f including an Italian Group 1. The trainer has a 7 percent strike rate from 74 runs at Leopardstown while the jockey is operating at 4 percent from 1320 rides here. By Kodi Bear, who has a 10% overall win rate, she now sports first-time headgear having been beaten by Cashel Queen in a 7f Naas barrier trial last month. That run suggests she has ability but she will need to improve to feature here on soft ground. Connections will be hoping the headgear can spark further progress.
The rest of the field
Spanish ViewKTB Fit 45/100
Spanish View is a newcomer from a yard that has yet to land a blow with its two-year-olds this term. The 3,000euros yearling is a half-sister to a couple of modest winners but her own pedigree offers little encouragement for a debut success over this trip on soft ground. Both trainer and jockey have modest strike rates at Leopardstown and this one is best watched.
Caoch The PiperKTB Fit 43/100
Caoch The Piper is a newcomer by Awtaad who cost 40,000 euros as a yearling. Her dam is an unraced half-sister to Group 1 winner Sea Silk Road while the family also features German Listed success at two. Trainer and jockey both operate below par at Leopardstown on the figures available.
Cloughleagh BridgeKTB Fit 43/100
Cloughleagh Bridge is a newcomer from a yard that has struck at a 5% rate from 38 runs at Leopardstown. The 37,000euros yearling is a sister to Listed-placed Key To Cotai and out of a useful 5f-7f juvenile winner. Connections have a modest record with two-year-olds and both trainer and jockey show below-par figures at the track so expectations are low on debut.
EpilogueKTB Fit 41/100
Epilogue is a newcomer by Awtaad out of a useful 1m-8.6f winner and half-sister to seven winners including high-class performer African Story. She showed some promise when third in a 7f barrier trial at Naas last month but the yard has a modest record with juveniles this season. Trainer is 0% from 13 runs at Leopardstown while jockey Ben Coen has a 7% strike rate from 357 rides here.
Star GloryKTB Fit 40/100
Star Glory showed something to work with when finishing never-nearer sixth of 12 on debut over 6f at the Curragh. The step up to 7f is an unknown and the soft ground is another fresh question given just one previous run. A modest performer on the figures so far with only a small sample to go on.
KTB verdict
Pisiffik Ginger is the KTB Selection. She showed fair form when finishing fourth on debut at Fairyhouse, staying on well, and the step up to 7f looks to play to her pedigree while her RPR of 76 gives her the best form in the race. The small sample of her experience means caution is required, yet she shapes as the one to beat on what she has shown so far. The main dangers are Cashel Queen, who impressed in a Naas barrier trial, and Dear Madam, whose pedigree and yard form make her of interest on debut. The remainder of the field largely lack strong form or yard momentum to challenge the selection strongly.
KTB Selection Pisiffik Ginger
This is the narrative read of the 5:30 Leopardstown. For the live card — runner-by-runner stats, the full Fit Score breakdown and current odds — see the Leopardstown racecard. New here? How KTB works explains the Fit Score and why we publish both.
Questions about this race
Which horse has the highest KTB Fit Score and what is it?
Pisiffik Ginger has the highest KTB Fit Score at 54/100.
How many runners have previous racecourse experience?
Only two runners have previous racecourse experience: Pisiffik Ginger with form figures of 4 and Star Glory with form figures of 6.
Which horse showed promise in a Naas barrier trial and what was the result?
Cashel Queen showed enough when beating Lily Bear in a 7f Naas barrier trial last month, while Epilogue showed some promise when third in a 7f barrier trial at Naas last month.
Which trainer has a 0% strike rate at Leopardstown from 13 runs?
Daniel McLoughlin has a 0% strike rate at Leopardstown from 13 runs with Epilogue.
Which two horses are described as usually held up?
Pisiffik Ginger and Star Glory are both described as usually held up and tend to produce their efforts late.
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