16:25 Down Royal

Tuesday 31 January 2017

All13:1013:4014:1514:5015:2515:5516:25

Dark Horse Wine Bar At Down Royal Flat Race

Off time: 16:25 | Winning time: 4m 6.00s

Castle Clyde¹⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 12-0| J: Mr M J O'Hare⁽⁵⁾| T: G Stewart

33/1

Point winner but two bumper outings so far have resulted in two heavy defeats and needs to step up on those to figure in this.

Form: 4P1-2

Indrik¹⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 12-0| J: Miss S O'Brien⁽⁵⁾| T: J P O'Brien

7/2

Runner-up to subsequent hurdles winner at Tipperary on his penultimate start, not beaten far when third at Fairyhouse next time out and could go well again for top connections.

Form: 042

Ned's Island¹⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 12-0| J: Mr P A King⁽⁵⁾| T: D M O'Brien

16/1

Well held in decent bumper at the Punchestown Festival in the spring, this looks a much weaker affair but will need to step up on that to figure.

Form: 66681-3

Last Minute Man

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: Mr J J Codd| T: G Elliott

3/1

€125,000 purchase back in 2015, dam won and placed in bumpers and yard have a 33% strike rate in this sphere here in recent years. One for the shortlist.

Form:

Murder Mile¹⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: Miss E Dunne⁽⁷⁾| T: J C McConnell

66/1

Well beaten in two bumpers to date, including when pulled up at Fairyhouse two weeks ago and much more needed here.

Form: 5

Pershing Missile³⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: Mr D J Benson⁽⁵⁾| T: N Meade

5/1

Caught the eye when a staying on third at Limerick last month, he had Ballinahinch behind him on that occasion and this full-brother to Grade 2 winner The Paparrazi Kid looks to have a leading chance here.

Form:

Pigeon Butler

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: Mr N Gault⁽⁷⁾| T: H Smyth

40/1

Unraced son of Tikkanen out of an unraced dam, yard not known for their bumper winners and have a poor record here in recent years. Likely best watched on debut.

Form:

Trainwreck³⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: Mr D Roche⁽⁵⁾| T: H De Bromhead

2/1

Point winner on heavy ground at Durrow in early 2016. Signs of ability on debut at Leopardstown over Christmas and a good chance if building on that.

Form: 1-

Our Valentina²⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 11-7| J: Mr N McParlan⁽³⁾| T: S R B Crawford

10/1

Slipped up here on debut last year but signs of ability in two subsequent starts, including when not beaten far at Punchestown two weeks ago.

Form: 757231

Non-Runners

Ballinahinch⁴³

Weight: 11-12| Age: 5

T: T J O'Mara J: R Deegan

Forecasts

Trainwreck (2/1), Last Minute Man (3/1), Indrik (7/2), Pershing Missile (5/1), Our Valentina (10/1), Ballinahinch (14/1), Ned's Island (16/1), Castle Clyde (33/1), Pigeon Butler (40/1), Murder Mile (66/1)

PERSHING MISSILE can put his experience to good use by getting the better of his rivals here. The gelding caught the eye at Limerick last month and his trainer and jockey can build on their 13% strike rate when teaming up together in National Hunt Flat races. The debutante Last Minute Man represents leading connections and he is taken to fight out the finish with the selection while Trainwreck can get the better of Indrlk for the third placed spot. 1. Pershing Missile 2. Last Minute Man 3. Trainwreck