John Ingles provides an overview of the key things to note on Monday.
Billie Frechette can go one better back at Down Royal
Noel Meade’s filly Billie Frechette has been in the form of her life this year, both on the Flat and over hurdles, and while she was very unlucky not to add to her recent successes on her latest start, she’s capable of going one better in the fillies’ handicap at Down Royal (14:39).
Her latest start came in the Ulster Cesarewitch at the same track earlier this month where she was sent off the 5/4 favourite in a competitive contest which she would surely have won had she got into the clear a bit earlier. As it was, she was going well when denied a run early in the straight before finishing well when forced wide in the final furlong, but the winner had flown by then and she was beaten only half a length by Alba Chiara, earning the ‘Horse In Focus’ flag.
Unlike the winner that day who reopposes here, the drop back to this shorter trip won’t inconvenience Billie Frechette who was a course-and-distance winner under a big weight in June, adding to her first success which came over two miles at Dundalk in March. She also got off the mark over hurdles at Cork in July and was an excellent second at the Galway Festival later that month. 3 lb clear in the Timeform weight-adjusted ratings, she’s capable of winning again.
Journey continues for Jannas at Hamilton
There are some prolific winners in action at Hamilton on Monday, including Kranjcar who can complete a five-timer, and land his seventh win of 2025, for George Boughey in the amateur riders handicap at 14:25.
But he’s not the winning-most horse this year on the card as Jannas Journey has already racked up seven wins for Jim Goldie, just since the middle of July, and is showing no signs of having reached her ceiling just yet. An 8 lb hike in the weights doesn’t look like preventing her from winning again as she steps up to a new trip of nine furlongs (15:35).
Jannas Journey began her winning spree at Hamilton over six furlongs in the summer from a BHA mark of 47 but gained her latest win at Ayr nine days ago from a mark 30 lb higher, having won four other races at Ayr, plus one at Musselburgh, in the meantime. She was a ready winner at Ayr last time, making smooth progress before leading over a furlong out and going clear to beat U Sure Do by two and a half lengths.
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Top trainers clash in Grade 3 novice at Roscommon
No doubt Willie Mullins, Gordon Elliott and Henry de Bromhead will be locking horns in plenty of good races later this jumps season and all three are represented in the Kilbegnet Novice Chase, a Grade 3 contest at Roscommon (16:35).
Elliott’s representative King of Kingsfield was useful over hurdles, acting as pacemaker for stablemate Brighterdaysahead in the Champion Hurdle, and he has taken well to fences, winning both his starts over the summer at Galway and Ballinrobe. However, he is up in grade here and he has to give weight away all round, including to Special Cadeau who has already bettered his hurdles form over fences for de Bromhead. He disappointed in a similar event at Galway last time but a repeat of his debut success over fences at Thurles in February from the reopposing Westport Cove or his second to the smart Nurburgring at Killarney in July would put him bang there.
Preference though is for Mullins’ front-runner Westport Cove who should make another bold bid here. He too was useful over hurdles, but it took him a while to get his head in front over fences, doing so with a bold round of jumping at Ballinrobe in May. He was collared only late on by stablemate Gold Dancer under another attacking ride in a Grade 3 novice at Galway last time with Special Cadeau further back, and he’s fancied to go one better.
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