3.25 Listowel: the one race you cannot afford to miss on Monday

3.25 Listowel
Edmund & Josie Whelan Memorial Listowel Stakes (Listed) | 1m1f | 3yo+ | TG4/RTV

Why is it interesting?

Trainer Joe Murphy reckons the Listowel Stakes is a Group 2 in disguise and with five runners in the field rated 100 or higher, which doesn't even include the unbeaten Lancaster House, it is hard to argue with him.

Murphy runs Insignia Of Rank who is more than entitled to take his chance in the race, but he will be a rank outsider due to the calibre of opposition he faces and his trainer accepts he has little chance of success from his draw.

Perhaps the most interesting runner of all is Lancaster House, who won a Galway maiden by eight lengths on his first start and followed up in stylish fashion at odds of 2-7 at Tipperary.

Lancaster House: unbeaten in two runs for Aidan O'BrienCredit: Patrick McCann

The highest-rated runner in the race is the versatile Riven Light, who boasts a mark of 109 and certainly won’t mind conditions given his record on soft ground.

Shelir was considered good enough to run in the Irish 2,000 Guineas in May after winning the Tetrarch at the Curragh, but his season has not progressed as planned and arrives on something of a retrieval mission.

What the stats say?

Willie McCreery won this race two years in a row with Devonshire (2015) and Champagne Or Water (2016) and he could be triple-handed this time around with Tipitena, Up Helly Aa and first reserve, Memyselfandmoi.

Riven Light, who was successful in this race in 2017, is back to try to win again for Willie Mullins.

It has been a profitable race for punters over the years with five successful favourites in the last decade, the most recent of which was Riven Light at 11-8.

What the trainers say?

Joe Murphy, trainer of Insignia Of Rank
This is like a Group 2 race and we have a very bad draw. We will need luck in running, although all the better horses seem to have wide draws. It is coming near the end of the season but he seems to be in good form at home.

Michael Mulvany, trainer of On The Go Again
He likes Listowel and won there two years ago. He returned to action at Killarney recently and should come on for the run. He is a very good horse on his day but might need another run to come back to himself.

Matthew Smith, trainer of Warnaq
She is in good form. She has had a bit of time off during the summer and is ready to start back out. The softer the ground, the better for her. It looks a really hot race so it won't be easy.

Fozzy Stack, trainer of Wargrave
It is a very competitive race but it always is. He has a nice draw in stall five and won't mind a bit of ease in the ground so fingers crossed he will go well.

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