Listowel 4:18 Result

Small field of five where the Mullins/Townend combination stands out. Ocastle Des Mottes carries the highest OR (130) of the marked runners, is fresh off a recent win (recorded a "21" finish sequence with the most recent run just 13 days ago, showing he's fit and progressive over fences), and has the benefit of Paul Townend's booking - a strong stable-confidence signal from the champion trainer. His profile as a novice chaser building form suits this rated novice contest well, and Mullins' novice chase record at tracks like Listowel is exceptional. Sky Lord (126 OR) is the closest market rival with a solid recent placed-then-won sequence for de Bromhead, but his last run was 60 days ago, giving a slight edge to the fresher, in-form Ocastle Des Mottes. Luker's Tipple has been racing frequently (2 days ago) which could mean he's either battle-hardened or feeling the effects of a busy campaign, and his form figures (341115) suggest more of a hurdles/bumper type transitioning rather than an established chaser with the rating to match. Apple's Of Bresil has a stop-start form line with a long absence (112 days) and unclear current ability, while Some Song has been off too long (168 days) and his solitary form figures are hard to trust fresh over today's trip/class. Overall, this looks like a match between the two highest-rated, in-form types, and I side with the Mullins runner given the quality of the booking and the fresher assessment mark trending the right way.