19:40 Down Royal

Friday 1 September 2017

All16:3517:0517:4018:1018:4019:1019:40

Dale Farm Dromona Mares Flat Race

Off time: 19:41 | Winning time: 3m 50.9s

Dawn Shadow¹²⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-9| J: Mr J J Codd| T: Mrs D A Love

5/1

Wide margin bumper winner at Downpatrick in May, tame afterwards at Navan before solid showing in Punchestown Grade 2, concedes weight all round but some of that negated by presence of Jamie Codd on board for first time.

Form: 63138-

True Self²⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 11-5| J: Mr P W Mullins| T: W P Mullins| D

1/3

Narrowly beaten in November at Warwick but no mistake last month on return at Galway (2m, soft) when tanking into the race and moving away to score with considerable ease. Big player again.

Form: 2-1

April Serenade

Age: 5| Weight: 11-2| J: Ms K Walsh| T: Peter Fahey

9/1

Kalanisi mare is a half-sister to fairly useful 2½m hurdle winner Ballyarthur, yard does ok with bumper horses (6-30) and worth a check in the betting.

Form:

Best Of Dubai

Age: 5| Weight: 11-2| J: Ms L O'Neill⁽⁵⁾| T: G Elliott

8/1

Dubai Destination mare can be given decent claims on breeding, represents bang in-form trainer (26% lately) and has useful rider taking 5lb off, on the shortlist.

Form:

Betsy Boots¹²

Age: 5| Weight: 11-2| J: Mr T Hamilton⁽⁵⁾| T: A Mulholland

25/1

Moderate third (beaten 17L) of 11 at Tramore over his trip 12 days ago on second start, needs a fair step forward to stand a chance of improving on that placing if these rivals run to form.

Form: 83

Biento Madame^t²⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-2| J: Mr N McParlan⁽³⁾| T: A Stronge

20/1

Returned from 840 days off with good effort in Southwell in bumper in July, beaten only 4L, but since finished more than 16L in arrears to True Self at Galway and no apparent reason that form will be reversed.

Form: 77/25

Bracka Lily

Age: 5| Weight: 11-2| J: Mr S Cavanagh⁽⁷⁾| T: N C Kelly

40/1

Another debutant, yard do ok with bumper runners, though only had three in the last year and all finished unplaced, likely to come on for this and not an easy starting place give what some others have achieved.

Form:

Lovetotalk^t¹²

Age: 6| Weight: 11-2| J: Mr C M Healy⁽⁷⁾| T: M Butler

50/1

Beaten thick end of 30L in a bumper at Tramore just 12 days ago on third start, has got serious work to do to play any major role in this.

Form: 80-6

Fairy Tikkan

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: R Deegan⁽⁷⁾| T: J G Cosgrave

25/1

Tikkanen filly whose breeding gives the impression she'll want further than this in time, watching brief advised on racecourse bow.

Form:

Forecasts

True Self (1/3), Dawn Shadow (5/1), Best Of Dubai (8/1), April Serenade (9/1), Biento Madame (20/1), Betsy Boots (25/1), Fairy Tikkan (25/1), Bracka Lily (40/1), Lovetotalk (50/1)

TRUE SELF showed the lessons of a near miss at Warwick last winter when taking a Galway Festival bumper last month with any amount in hand and looks certain to mount another bold bid here for the champion trainer. Downpatrick winner Dawn Shadow looks likely to keep the selection honest, having run well since in a Punchestown Grade 2 while the debutant Best Of Dubai looks promising on paper and is very much noted for the red-hot Elliott team with a handy claim to assist her.