Ranger To Relish Return To Heavy Ground At Listowel

Highly Toxic was unfortunately declared a non runner at Leopardstown, but to be honest I was relieved because the ground hadn't turned testing enough for him. Hopefully you followed me in on Harbour Law, who took full advantage of a Ballydoyle blunder to take the St Leger for the Mongans under an inspired ride from George Baker. Plenty of fingers were burned on Idaho I am sure but, even so, it is marvellous to see small stables doing so well against powerhouse yards with billions behind them.

I was waiting on Hawkbill for the big race double, but he got hampered early on and never looked comfortable afterwards. I was expecting more testing conditions on the day, but the showers never arrived and that put paid to Hawkbill's chances. Almanzor ran out a most impressive winner, and it was an outstanding performance from the French horse. Soumillon produced him widest of all, and he travelled well before showing a startling turn of foot to put the race to bed. He is 7 from 9 now and he has given promising sire Wootton Bassett his first Group 1 winner.

Listowel is the place to be in Ireland this week, and only for work I would be down there myself. There is some decent action there on Monday, and the one I like goes in the conditional jockey's 2m handicap hurdle at 5.10. The Cullinane yard has two entries here, including last year's winner Balofilo, but I think Jazz Ranger looks an intriguing contender. This 4yo son of Bushranger won his maiden hurdle on bottomless ground at Punchestown on New Years Eve 2015, He followed that up by chasing home Footpad on equally bad ground at Gowran, before he was well beaten in a Grade 3 at Fairyhouse.

He was put away after those efforts and reappeared a few months later at Dundalk over 12f. He followed that with a poor run in a handicap hurdle off 113 at Punchestown on ground that would have been quick enough for him. He was freshened up again after that and returned with a much better effort at Ballinrobe (13f yielding) when beaten just half a length off 61. His form nosedived after that, and he has mixed hurdling and the level with no success. However, he has been running on nice summer ground, and the muck that awaits him at Listowel tomorrow will be much more to his liking,

This will be his first try on heavy ground over hurdles since he was outclassed in the Grade 3 last February, and his mark has dropped to 109 so he gets into a lower grade than he was previously competing at. Young O'Connell has been booked for the ride, and he has ridden two winners for Cullinane in the past. Cullinane also runs Balofilo, who won this last year, but he is 18lb higher here, and still 12lb above his highest winning mark. I would much rather side with Jazz Ranger at more than double Balofilo's odds, and at 20/1 he is worth a small e/w bet in the hope that heavy ground sparks him back into form.

STEVOS' SELECTION: 5.10 LISTOWEL-JAZZ RANGER E/W 20/1