Roscommon 6:25 Result

Hazdann has the standout profile here: highest OR (103) by a clear margin over this small 5-runner field, from the powerful Aga Khan/Dermot Weld operation with Chris Hayes booked - a strong stable/jockey combo. His form figures show a win and consistent placing (91/4-7), and being by Night Of Thunder out of a Pivotal mare he's bred for middle distances on a mile-and-a-quarter test. Weld's horses are traditionally sharp fresh off a break and 85 days off shouldn't be an issue for a well-bred colt with the engine to carry big weight (top weight 136lbs is deserved given the rating gap). None of the three-year-olds here have matched his figures - Sinmara's OR 93, God Of Power 88, Dial Me In 87 - and Handshake is unrated. The J O'Brien trio could easily cut each other's chance out with McCullagh/Sheridan/McDonogh splitting the market, while Hazdann looks the most solid, proven performer at the trip and going (Good To Yielding won't trouble him). This is a query over whether he's fit enough after the layoff, but Weld's/Aga Khan's string are rarely undercooked for a valuable enough prize like this, and the class/rating edge is too big to ignore in a shallow field.