14:00 Down Royal

Monday 2 May 2022

All14:0014:3515:1015:4516:2016:5517:30

Ballygowan Opportunity Maiden Hurdle

Off time: 14:00 | Winning time: 4m 9.5s

Ballinlough Gale^h,t¹⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: E Walsh| T: P Martin

50/1

Fairly useful Flat winner. Twice-raced maiden over hurdles. Fairly useful winner at 14f on the Flat. Ninth of 24 in novice hurdle at Fairyhouse (16f, soft, 80/1) 15 days ago.

Form: 09-

Cozone⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: J G Gilligan⁽⁴⁾| T: M J Smith

11/1

Tongue strap on for 1st time, first run since leaving James Ferguson when seventh of 20 in handicap (10/1) at Navan (13f, good) 9 days ago, never nearer. Yard also saddles Flaming Moon.

Form:

Esperti²⁰¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: J B Foley| T: Peter Fahey| D

9/2

Fairly useful winner at 16f in bumpers. Last of 4 in bumper (13/8) at Punchestown (16f, good to soft), unsuited by way race developed. Makes hurdles debut.

Form: 2814-

Flaming Moon¹⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: J B Kane⁽²⁾| T: M J Smith

5/4

Useful Flat winner. Twice-raced maiden over hurdles. Eleventh of 17 in handicap at Cork (10.1f, good to soft, 16/1) 16 days ago. Switches from Flat to hurdles. Big player.

Form: 32-

Gaelic Arc³⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: N T Prendergast⁽⁴⁾| T: J P Ryan| D

25/1

Winner in bumper at Thurles in November. Seventh of 13 in novice hurdle (6/1) at Limerick (19f, good to soft) 36 days ago, not knocked about. Should progress.

Form: 731367-

Odd Venture¹⁹⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: Derek McGrath⁽⁴⁾| T: R K Watson| OR: 103

66/1

Lightly-raced maiden over hurdles. Thirteenth of 17 in handicap at Gowran (9.5f, soft, 11/1). Off 6 months. Switches from Flat to hurdles.

Form: U9356-

Backing Band³³⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: T N Brett⁽⁴⁾| T: Peter Fahey

100/1

Twice-raced maiden under Rules. Twelfth of 16 in novice hurdle (33/1) at Kilbeggan (18.3f, good to soft) on hurdles bow. Off 11 months.

Form: 9/0-

Ballykeeran^t¹⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 11-4| J: S A Mulcahy⁽⁴⁾| T: G Hussey

200/1

Lightly-raced maiden under Rules. Tongue strap on for 1st time in this code, nineteenth of 24 in novice hurdle (250/1) at Fairyhouse (16f, soft) on hurdles bow 15 days ago.

Form: 0770-

Drayton Cross^t¹⁵

Age: 8| Weight: 11-4| J: Shane O'Callaghan⁽⁴⁾| T: L Fowler

28/1

Modest maiden on the Flat. 80/1 and tongue strap on for 1st time in this code, unseated rider in novice hurdle at Fairyhouse (16f, soft) on NH debut 15 days ago.

Form: U-

Freddie Robdal²¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: C G O'Dwyer⁽⁴⁾| T: H De Bromhead| OR: 116| BF

11/2

Thrice-raced maiden. 11/8, third of 13 in novice hurdle at Tramore (16f, good to soft) 21 days ago, finding little. Should be in the mix.

Form: 6/3473-

Helios Smart⁵⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: P J O'Hanlon⁽⁴⁾| T: B Connell

66/1

Twice-raced maiden. 20/1, tenth of 11 in novice hurdle at Leopardstown (16f, good to soft) 56 days ago.

Form: 00-

Kinbrace⁶⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: C Brassil⁽²⁾| T: S R B Crawford

40/1

Once-raced maiden. 8/1, fifth of 6 in bumper at Naas (15.5f, soft) on NH debut 64 days ago. Makes hurdles debut.

Form: 5-

Shoot First¹⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: A McCurtin| T: C Byrnes

18/1

Twice-raced maiden. First run since leaving Cathal Byrnes when ran out in novice hurdle at Kilbeggan (19f, good, 11/1) 10 days ago.

Form: 3R-

Showbusiness^t¹¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: Niall Moore⁽⁴⁾| T: G Elliott| OR: 113

7/2

Fair hurdler. Remains a maiden after 8 hurdle runs. 2/1, creditable second of 14 in novice hurdle at Kilbeggan (15.1f, good) 11 days ago.

Form: 532262-

The Son Of Brega¹⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: P M O'Brien⁽⁴⁾| T: P Downey

66/1

Twice-raced maiden. 150/1 and hooded for 1st time, eleventh of 24 in novice hurdle at Fairyhouse (16f, soft) 15 days ago.

Form: 00-

Miss Sunset⁸²

Age: 7| Weight: 10-11| J: G P Brouder⁽²⁾| T: Gearoid Brouder

200/1

Twice-raced maiden under Rules. Pulled up in novice hurdle (250/1) at Fairyhouse (16f, soft) on hurdles bow 82 days ago, pulled up some way out.

Form: 0P-

Helvic Princess^t¹¹

Age: 4| Weight: 10-5| J: N J Ryan⁽⁴⁾| T: N Meade

22/1

Lightly-raced maiden. 16/1, below form fifth of 14 in novice hurdle at Kilbeggan (15.1f, good) 11 days ago. Each-way shout.

Form: S265-

Non-Runners

Heathrow²⁴

Weight: 11-4| Age: 5

T: Miss E Doyle J: J P O'Sullivan

Strong Whisper¹⁵

Weight: 11-4| Age: 6

T: N Lee J: R P Geoghegan

Superlike³⁹⁷

Weight: 10-12| Age: 4

T: G Elliott J: Reserve 1

Celine Man²⁵

Weight: 10-12| Age: 4

T: M Fahey J: Reserve 2

Ghumama³⁹

Weight: 10-5| Age: 4

T: D Hogan J: Reserve 3

Forecasts

Flaming Moon (5/4), Showbusiness (7/2), Esperti (9/2), Freddie Robdal (11/2), Ghumama (15/2), Heathrow (8/1), Cozone (11/1), Shoot First (18/1), Superlike (20/1), Helvic Princess (22/1), Gaelic Arc (25/1), Drayton Cross (28/1), Kinbrace (40/1), Ballinlough Gale (50/1), Celine Man (50/1), Helios Smart (66/1), Odd Venture (66/1), The Son Of Brega (66/1), Strong Whisper (66/1), Backing Band (100/1), Ballykeeran (200/1), Miss Sunset (200/1)

Having shaped with considerable promise on his two starts in this sphere, FLAMING MOON is taken to make it third time lucky over hurdles. A recent spin on the Flat should have blown away any cobwebs. Showbusiness didn't do much wrong when hitting the crossbar at Kilbeggan recently and he is likely to have a say in the finish. Freddie Robdal should make his presence felt, while suport for the selection's stablemate Cozone would be interesting.