Listowel, Saturday 30 May: Tips & Selections

Listowel, Saturday 30 May: Tips & Selections

A seven-race card at Listowel on good ground, with showers forecast to keep conditions honest through the afternoon. The going suits horses who travel through the ground rather than needing it soft, and with some cracking handicap hurdle prizes on offer, there are angles worth hunting down across three featured races. The apprentice and conditional jockey stats at this track are genuinely eye-catching, with James Smith (5), Josh Williamson (5) and Alan O’Sullivan (7) all running at A/E figures well above 2.0. That is not background noise, that is actionable intelligence.

Worth noting that W.P. Mullins has only a 19% strike rate at Listowel with an A/E of 0.85, so when the market hands you a short-priced Mullins runner at this venue, the value is not always where the odds suggest.

2:06 – Anglo Printers Remembering John H. Kierans Mares Hurdle (2m½f)

Selection: Murcia (5/6, Boyle Sports/Betfred)

Yes, she is favourite, and yes, the standing instruction on this page is to find value. But Murcia is selected here because the case is genuinely strong, not because she is the obvious name on the racecard. She won a Grade 1 at Aintree in April 2025, her last start on ground with good in the description. The current going suits her, she is carrying the top weight but conceding single-figure pounds to a field with nothing close to her rating. Royal Hollow ran a modest third in a Listed mares hurdle at Killarney most recently and needs to improve sharply. Run For Mahler ran well over the course and distance in September but has been absent since October. Grainne A Chroi is talented but her best form is on soft.

The one caveat is the Mullins A/E of 0.85 at this course, which is a fair warning. But Murcia returning to a surface that actually suits her, in a field where she holds a clear ratings edge, is a different proposition to blindly backing a Mullins hotpot. She is the bet, even at a tight price.

4:26 – Insurance Wise Handicap Hurdle (2m4½f, 13 runners)

Selection: Elusive Ogie Each-Way (11/4, Betfred/LiveScore Bet)

This is a 13-runner handicap hurdle and the Elusive Ogie angle is one of the more compelling on the card. He won a Limerick maiden hurdle over 2m1f on good ground this time last year, and his last outing was at this very track in the Lartigue, where he ran third on good to yielding ground. He also unseated at Limerick most recently, travelling smoothly and looking like the likely winner when he sprawled at the second last off this exact mark, over 2m4f on good to yielding. Strip that run out and his form reads as a horse with upside who has been denied at least one win by misfortune rather than ability.

The step up to 2m4½f today plays to his stamina, the going is right, and he is lightly raced for a five-year-old with clear progression still in him. Mark Fahey’s Garnacho is interesting each-way at 16/1 given the Bellewstown win in similar conditions, but Elusive Ogie is the call at shorter odds with more to prove on his side.

With 13 runners and four places on offer at 1/5, each-way is the recommended approach at 11/4.

5:00 – In Memory Of Josephine Lyons 110 Series Final Handicap Hurdle (2m7½f, 11 runners)

Selection: Only For Our Man (11/4, Boyle Sports/Betfred)

Paul Nolan is in form with four winners from 17 runners in the last 14 days, and Only For Our Man arrives here with a strong profile. He won a 2m6f novice handicap at Down Royal last month on good ground by seven lengths, then stepped up in grade and ran to within a head of winning at Cork over 3m1f on good ground, carrying 7lb more than today. He goes up another 4lb here, but cheekpieces are fitted for the first time and this trip looks ideal. The Down Royal win was emphatic, the Cork run showed he handles good ground and a searching test of stamina.

Alan O’Sullivan (7) is in the saddle, and his course stats at Listowel are striking: 17% wins from 24 rides but an A/E of 2.23, meaning he consistently beats the market. Somersby Roost had an easy win at Cork but takes a sizeable 10lb hike. Chanceawetmorning in the race before is worth noting as the yard is clearly flying, but Only For Our Man is the stronger bet here on the figures.

• Somersby Roost is honest opposition at 3/1 and the scope to improve up in trip is real, but the weight rise is a concern on second handicap start.
• Whatsavailable at 13/2 with Josh Williamson (5) aboard is worth a small each-way interest given the attractive mark and his previous form at 3m on good ground.
• Way Down South is also in the mix at 15/2 if the showers arrive and the ground eases slightly.

Today’s NAP