6:55 Sligo
This 2m4f168y maiden hurdle at Sligo on good ground brings together a field of nine, several of whom are lightly raced or making their hurdling debuts. The KTB numbers point to Cut The Rope as the clear top pick with a 73 Fit rating, well ahead of Minella Moon Shine on 61, while the remainder sit in the mid-50s or lower. With trainer Eddie & Patrick Harty boasting a 25% strike rate at the track and a smart performer in the field, the race looks set to revolve around whether that class can be translated over the longer trip.
How the race shapes up
The pace shape is tentative with only thin evidence of a confirmed front-runner, though Ivana D'alco is likely to take them along from the front given her tendency to make the running or race prominently. Most of the field, including the two principals Cut The Rope and Minella Moon Shine, are held-up types who produce their effort late, while Fuusland settles in midfield. The key question is whether the race will develop into a true test of stamina over this extended trip or if the lack of confirmed pace allows held-up runners to close effectively in the latter stages.
The KTB Fit ranking
- 1Cut The Rope KTB Selection73/100Smart performer who arrives in reasonable form after a solid fourth last time out.
- 2Minella Moon Shine61/100Minella Moon Shine has shown little in two completed starts since a fall on debut, finishing well held both times.
- 3Mr Caulfield55/100Mr Caulfield has shown mixed form in his three completed starts, finishing second on his handicap debut before a win at Down Royal last time.
- 4Fox Walk52/100Fox Walk is a debutant with recent point-to-point form that includes a win.
- 5Ivana D'alco51/100Ivana D'alco showed fair form when winning a bumper on debut last year but has been well held in both subsequent starts, including a recent sixth on return.
- 6Fuusland46/100Fuusland has shown little so far with a fall and a fourth from two starts over shorter.
- 7Tommy Go Maith44/100Recent form of PP-P tells its own story and the 5-year-old has failed to complete in three of four starts.
- 8San Patricio39/100San Patricio is a newcomer with no racecourse experience.
- 9Turlough Abu35/100Turlough Abu is a fair performer on the balance of his ratings and race history.
The contenders
Cut The Rope KTB Fit 73/100
Cut The Rope arrives as a smart performer who showed reasonable form when finishing a solid fourth last time out from recent figures of 2550-4. The Eddie & Patrick Harty yard has a 25% strike rate at Sligo from 16 runs with an A/E of 1.95, while Kieren Buckley brings a 12% strike rate at the track from 26 rides. The 7-year-old is held up and usually produces its effort late, which should suit if the race lacks a strong gallop. He has been placed once from one run on good ground and steps up in trip today having failed to win in two previous tries at this distance.
Minella Moon Shine KTB Fit 61/100
Minella Moon Shine has shown little in his two completed starts since a fall on debut, finishing well held on both occasions from figures of F/26. This represents a step up in trip as a fresh question for the lightly-raced 6-year-old with only a small sample to go on. John J Nallen has a 50% strike rate at Sligo from just four runs with an A/E of 2.43, though the yard's overall trainer-jockey record stands at 3/17 with an A/E of 0.67. The going remains an unknown having been placed once from one run on good without winning, and he is another held-up type who produces his effort late.
Mr Caulfield KTB Fit 55/100
Mr Caulfield has shown mixed form in his three completed starts, finishing second on his handicap debut before a win at Down Royal last time out from figures of 62-P10. He steps up markedly in trip today which asks a fresh question of the 5-year-old. Noel C Kelly has a solid 14% strike rate at Sligo from 84 runs with an A/E of 1.33, while Sean Flanagan brings a 13% strike rate from 99 rides with an A/E of 1.02. The going read shows one run on good with no win or place, and this remains a low-confidence read given the horse's light career.
Fox Walk KTB Fit 52/100
Fox Walk is a debutant over hurdles with recent point-to-point form that includes a win from figures of 5P3-1. The pedigree, by Walk In The Park with its 13% overall win rate, and sales background are the main guides here as racecourse evidence is absent and overall data confidence is low. Noel C Kelly again has his 14% strike rate at Sligo from 84 runs to call upon, though the trainer-jockey combination with Darragh O'Keeffe stands at 0/12 with an A/E of 0.00. There is no course win on record and the 5-year-old represents another step into the unknown.
The rest of the field
Ivana D'alcoKTB Fit 51/100
Ivana D'alco showed fair form when winning a bumper on debut last year but has been well held in both subsequent starts, including a recent sixth on return from figures of F41-6. The step up in trip today asks a fresh question of this lightly-raced mare while first-time headgear is also tried; W P Mullins has a 33% strike rate at Sligo from 226 runs though the going is unproven with no runs on good.
FuuslandKTB Fit 46/100
Fuusland has shown little so far with a fall and a fourth from two starts over shorter from figures of U4. He steps up markedly in trip today which asks a fresh question of a horse with only two runs in the book; Gordon Elliott has a solid 16% strike rate at Sligo from 277 runs and the 5-year-old will settle in midfield.
Tommy Go MaithKTB Fit 44/100
Recent form of PP-P tells its own story and the 5-year-old has failed to complete in three of four starts. He steps up markedly in trip today as a first-time headgear wearer while the sole course run ended in a pulled-up effort; Thomas Patrick McGettigan has a 0% strike rate at Sligo from three runs and this one remains very hard to weigh up.
San PatricioKTB Fit 39/100
San Patricio is a newcomer with no racecourse experience. The yard has a 0% strike rate from nine runs at Sligo and pedigree and sales background offer the only clues here but with low data confidence any firm view is impossible.
Turlough AbuKTB Fit 35/100
Turlough Abu is a fair performer on the balance of his ratings and race history but has shown only modest form in three starts this season from figures of 9-87. He steps up in trip today while the trainer's modest 4% strike rate at Sligo from 212 runs adds a note of caution; the 4-year-old is held up with high confidence in that run-style.
KTB verdict
Cut The Rope stands out as the KTB Selection with a clear Fit advantage and the benefit of a trainer in excellent form at Sligo. His solid recent effort and smart level of ability give him every chance of translating that form to this longer trip on good ground. The main dangers are likely to come from Minella Moon Shine if he can improve for the extra distance, while Mr Caulfield and the debutant Fox Walk cannot be entirely ruled out in a race where the pace is expected to be only modest.
KTB Selection Cut The Rope
Morning odds
Best available price per runner, captured 00:00 UTC, 6 Aug. These are a morning snapshot and will have moved — see the live racecard for current prices.
| Runner | Morning price | Bookmaker |
|---|---|---|
| Cut The Rope | 13/8 | Bet365 |
| Minella Moon Shine | 11/8 | Bet Victor |
| Mr Caulfield | 25/1 | BetTom |
| Fox Walk | 12/1 | Bet365 |
| Ivana D'alco | 6/1 | Bet365 |
| Fuusland | 14/1 | Bet365 |
| Tommy Go Maith | 125/1 | Bet365 |
| San Patricio | 66/1 | Bet365 |
| Turlough Abu | 66/1 | Bet365 |
This is the narrative read of the 6:55 Sligo. For the live card — runner-by-runner stats, the full Fit Score breakdown and current odds — see the Sligo 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 in the race?
Cut The Rope on 73/100.
What is the trainer strike rate at Sligo for the yard of the selection Cut The Rope?
25% strike rate at Sligo with an A/E of 1.95 from 16 runs.
How many previous runs has Minella Moon Shine had over hurdles?
Two completed starts since a fall on debut.
Which runner is making its hurdles debut with a point-to-point win to its name?
Fox Walk.
What run-style is expected from the selection Cut The Rope?
Held up — usually held up and produces its effort late.
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