4:35 Tramore
The Heinz Pollmeier Memorial Handicap Steeplechase at Tramore brings together a field of ten for this 1m7f140y contest on good ground. With no obvious leader in a race that lacks pace on paper, the KTB numbers point to a steadily-run, tactical affair in which being handy could prove advantageous. Bossing It heads the KTB Fit ratings on 60, just ahead of Presenting Lad on 58, with the remainder tightly bunched between 53 and 38.
How the race shapes up
The pace shape indicates a lack of any confirmed front-runner, suggesting the race will be run at a steady tempo with the field likely to bunch early. Most principals are held-up types who produce their efforts late, though Robin Elite is the notable prominent runner from the rear of the field. This setup poses the key question of whether the race will be decided by those who can creep into the contest effectively or if the prominent horse can steal an advantage in a tactical affair.
The KTB Fit ranking
- 1Bossing It KTB Selection60/100Useful performer who has shown enough at Tramore to place once from three runs here.
- 2Presenting Lad58/100Useful performer who has won over this trip and at Tramore.
- 3Nobody53/100Fair performer who has been out of form for some time and showed little spark when fifth on return at Wexford.
- 4Itsalonglongroad53/100Useful performer who has won twice at Tramore from 15 starts and also has two wins at today's trip.
- 5Kingdom Calling51/100Kingdom Calling is a fair performer who has shown little spark this season with a string of modest efforts including two poor runs here at Tramore.
- 6Katherine47/100Katherine is a fair mare who has been largely out of form this year with a string of modest efforts.
- 7Ray Gun46/100Useful performer who has run well enough at this track before but has been struggling for form this year with a string of modest efforts.
- 8Polly Poppins41/100Polly Poppins is a fair mare who has shown consistent placed form at Tramore, including a second and a third, but she has never won in 15 starts.
- 9Robin Elite39/100Modest performer who has failed to complete in two of his three runs here and looks to have lost his way judged on recent pulled-up efforts.
- 10Ballinaboola Gold38/100Ballinaboola Gold is a fair performer who has been competitive on good ground without winning.
The contenders
Bossing It KTB Fit 60/100
Bossing It is a useful performer who has shown enough at Tramore to place once from three runs here. He drops back in trip to a distance he has won at before, though his recent form has been patchy and he was well held on his latest start. The David M O'Brien yard operates at a modest 9% strike rate at the track from a large sample of 224 runs, with the trainer and jockey combination showing a 21/232 record. Sean Flanagan has an 8% strike rate at Tramore from 373 rides. The horse is usually held up and produces its effort late, with one win from four starts on good ground and a placed effort from three course visits.
Presenting Lad KTB Fit 58/100
Presenting Lad is a useful performer who has won over this trip and at Tramore, where he has scored once from three starts. Recent form has been patchy with two pulled-ups in his last three starts and he now tries first-time headgear. The Mark Michael McNiff stable has a modest 6% strike-rate at the track from 36 runs, with the trainer and jockey combination recording 1/19. Daniel King has a 12% strike rate at Tramore from 60 rides. The horse is usually held up and produces its effort late, with two wins from 18 starts on good ground.
Nobody KTB Fit 53/100
Nobody is a fair performer who has been out of form for some time and showed little spark when fifth on return at Wexford. He drops back in trip today having failed to make an impact over this distance in four previous attempts. Brendan Maurice Walsh has a solid 15% strike rate at Tramore from 26 runs, while the trainer and jockey combination shows 2/7. Josh Williamson has a 15% strike rate at the track from 13 rides. The horse is usually held up and produces its effort late, is unproven on this ground from two runs on good, and first-time headgear is now applied with no course form on record.
Itsalonglongroad KTB Fit 53/100
Itsalonglongroad is a useful performer who has won twice at Tramore from 15 starts and also has two wins at today's trip. Recent form has been patchy and first-time headgear is now reached for after a poor run last time. David O'Sullivan is 0-7 at the track, with the trainer and jockey combination showing 2/19. Shane O'Callaghan has a 10% strike rate at Tramore from 60 rides though is unproven here in this context. The horse is usually held up and produces its effort late, with one win from 14 starts on good ground.
Kingdom Calling KTB Fit 51/100
Kingdom Calling is a fair performer who has shown little spark this season with a string of modest efforts including two poor runs here at Tramore. He drops back in trip to a distance at which he has won once from nine attempts, though he is 0-6 on good ground and has never placed in six runs on this surface. Eoin Christopher McCarthy has a modest 6% strike rate at the track from 48 runs, with the trainer and jockey combination recording 36/446. G B Noonan has a 9% strike rate at Tramore from 45 rides. The horse typically settles in midfield, first-time headgear is now fitted, and he has finished sixth and ninth from two course visits.
The rest of the field
KatherineKTB Fit 47/100
Katherine is a fair mare who has been largely out of form this year with a string of modest efforts. She has won at today's trip in the past but is dropping back from 2m2f on her first run in first-time headgear, with the yard's modest 5% strike rate at Tramore from 21 runs adding little confidence.
Ray GunKTB Fit 46/100
Ray Gun is a useful performer who has run well enough at this track before but has been struggling for form this year with a string of modest efforts. He drops back in trip today having been tried over much further last time while first-time headgear is now applied, with the trainer recording a 9% strike-rate here from 56 runs.
Polly PoppinsKTB Fit 41/100
Polly Poppins is a fair mare who has shown consistent placed form at Tramore, including a second and a third, but she has never won in 15 starts. The trainer has a 0% strike rate from 13 runs at the track while the jockey also lacks a winning record here from 47 rides, though she acts on good ground and has tried this trip five times without success.
Robin EliteKTB Fit 39/100
Robin Elite is a modest performer who has failed to complete in two of his three runs here and looks to have lost his way judged on recent pulled-up efforts. He drops back in trip today having been well held over much further last time, though he is 0-6 at this distance, with first-time headgear now reached for.
Ballinaboola GoldKTB Fit 38/100
Ballinaboola Gold is a fair performer who has been competitive on good ground without winning. He drops back in trip today having failed to trouble the judge in four previous attempts at this distance and was well held on his only previous run here, with first-time headgear now fitted.
KTB verdict
Bossing It is the KTB Selection. He has shown enough at Tramore to place once from three runs here and drops back to a trip he has won over before, with his held-up run style likely to suit the steadily-run shape of the race. The main dangers are Presenting Lad, who has won over course and distance but brings patchy recent form and first-time headgear, and Itsalonglongroad, who has twice been successful at Tramore and also knows this trip well. Nobody and Kingdom Calling add further depth to what looks a competitive heat on good ground.
KTB Selection Bossing It
This is the narrative read of the 4:35 Tramore. For the live card — runner-by-runner stats, the full Fit Score breakdown and current odds — see the Tramore 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 is the selection?
Bossing It with a KTB Fit Score of 60/100.
How many of the principals are wearing first-time headgear?
Three of the five principals are wearing first-time headgear: Presenting Lad, Nobody and Itsalonglongroad.
What is the trainer's strike rate at Tramore for the yard of the KTB Selection?
David M O'Brien has a 9% strike rate at Tramore from 224 runs.
Which horse is the only prominent runner in the field?
Robin Elite is the only prominent runner, usually racing handily on or close to the lead.
How many wins has Itsalonglongroad recorded at Tramore?
Itsalonglongroad has won twice at Tramore from 15 starts.
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