18:35 Down Royal

Friday 3 June 2022

All16:5017:2518:0018:3519:1019:4520:20

Danny Boy Bookmaker Handicap Hurdle (80-102)

Off time: 18:39 | Winning time: 4m 59.60s

Kingfisher Lane¹⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 12-0| J: Mr S Connor⁽⁷⁾| T: S R B Crawford| OR: 102

25/1

Career best when winning 15-runner handicap hurdle at Downpatrick (18.8f, soft, 33/1) 14 days ago. Return to longer trip will suit and he could go well again.

Form: UU08-61

Alice O'Byrne³⁴

Age: 8| Weight: 11-13| J: Aidan Kelly⁽⁷⁾| T: D M Christie| OR: 101

12/1

Fair hurdler. Dual winning pointer, runner-up last time (Apr 30). Worth a look.

Form: 72F312-

Lady Iseult²²

Age: 7| Weight: 11-11| J: P J O'Hanlon⁽⁵⁾| T: D A McLoughlin| OR: 99

22/1

Lightly-raced maiden. Bit below form eighth of 14 in handicap hurdle (16/1) at Clonmel (16.4f, good) 22 days ago. Up in trip.

Form: 488-8

The Grey Lad⁴⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-11| J: Gary Noonan⁽⁷⁾| T: P W Flynn| OR: 99

9/4

Lightly-raced maiden. Hooded for 1st time, below form eighth of 24 in handicap hurdle at Fairyhouse (20f, soft, 11/1) 47 days ago.

Form: 34028-

Keepthefaithinme^p1⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 11-9| J: Miss Georgie Benson⁽⁷⁾| T: G Elliott| OR: 97

66/1

50/1, thirteenth of 21 in novice hurdle at Punchestown (19.6f, good) 5 days ago. Cheekpieces on for 1st time. Makes handicap hurdle debut. Watch the betting.

Form: 39080-0

Sam Lorenzo¹⁴

Age: 7| Weight: 11-9| J: Shane O'Callaghan⁽⁷⁾| T: W J Bryson| OR: 97

12/1

50/1, fourth of 14 in novice chase at Downpatrick (19.2f, soft) on debut over fences 14 days ago. Switches from chase to hurdles.

Form: 4096P-4

Wild Caprice⁴⁵³

Age: 8| Weight: 11-7| J: Mr H C Swan⁽⁷⁾| T: J P Ryan| OR: 95

12/1

Modest form in bumpers, similar form over hurdles. Off 15 months. First run for yard after leaving Thomas James.

Form: 95F30P/

Serpolette^h,t¹³⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 11-6| J: E Walsh⁽⁵⁾| T: E D Delany| OR: 94| D

40/1

One win from 21 NH runs. Eleventh of 15 in handicap chase at Punchestown (20.2f, heavy, 33/1) 138 days ago.

Form: 8508F0-

Sweet Will^p³⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 11-6| J: C P McNamara| T: G P Cromwell| OR: 94| D

3/1

Won his last 2 over jumps and ran his best race back on the Flat despite shaping as if a better gallop would have suited at Doncaster 34 days ago. Cheekpieces on 1st time over jumps. Obvious appeal.

Form: 9/03411-

Deo Bellator⁴²

Age: 9| Weight: 11-4| J: Mr N Gault⁽⁷⁾| T: S Millar| OR: 92| D

22/1

Won 14-runner handicap hurdle (25/1) at Kilbeggan (24f, good) 42 days ago, just holding on. Respected.

Form: 560801-

Fil The Power¹⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 11-2| J: J B Kane⁽⁵⁾| T: K Smith| OR: 90

12/1

Lightly-raced maiden over hurdles. Sixth of 20 in handicap hurdle at Punchestown (16.5f, good to soft, 17/2) 10 days ago. Up in trip. May well do better.

Form: 800-6

Battle Of Benburb^t1²⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-1| J: K E Buckley⁽⁵⁾| T: J C McConnell| OR: 89

17/2

Twelve runs since last win in 2021. Ninth of 13 in handicap hurdle at Downpatrick (21.8f, soft, 7/2) 28 days ago. Tongue strap on for 1st time.

Form: 096P7-9

Minella Moment⁵³⁹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-0| J: Cian Chester⁽⁷⁾| T: G Elliott| OR: 88

25/1

Off 17 months. First run for yard after leaving D. Broad. Makes handicap hurdle debut. Not shown much but hard to ignore the fact he returns for Gordon Elliott and he's another to keep an eye on.

Form: 84F0P0/

Miss Polly Shelby^p²⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 10-13| J: Kevin Sexton| T: R McNally| OR: 87

22/1

Little sign of ability on Flat/over hurdles, though worth market check starting out in handicaps.

Form: P8P07-

Oromo^t⁸

Age: 9| Weight: 10-12| J: Kieran Callaghan⁽⁷⁾| T: K Thornton| OR: 86

22/1

One win from 33 NH runs. 40/1, eighth of 17 in handicap hurdle at Limerick (19f, good to soft) 8 days ago.

Form: 7800-P8

Greenandwhitearmy⁶⁰²

Age: 10| Weight: 10-9| J: C G O'Dwyer⁽⁷⁾| T: N McKnight| OR: 83

40/1

Modest handicap hurdler, won at Downpatrick in 2019/20. First run for 20 months.

Form: 5P6924/

Falco Du Sauzay¹⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 10-6| J: P J Carberry| T: A McCann| OR: 80

22/1

Unreliable sort. 9/1, below form eighth of 20 in handicap hurdle at Punchestown (16.5f, good to soft) 10 days ago. Back up in trip. RESERVE.

Form: 274PP-8

Non-Runners

True Destiny³²

Weight: 11-6| Age: 7

T: J J Lambe J: Anna McGuinness

Made In Pimlico⁸

Weight: 11-2| Age: 5

T: B W Duke J: Mark McDonagh

Think Positive¹⁴

Weight: 10-13| Age: 8

T: P J Rothwell J: Ricky Doyle

Carried⁷⁵

Weight: 10-6| Age: 12

T: R K Watson J: Non Runner

Forecasts

The Grey Lad (9/4), Sweet Will (3/1), Battle Of Benburb (17/2), Wild Caprice (12/1), Alice O'Byrne (12/1), Fil The Power (12/1), Sam Lorenzo (12/1), Carried (16/1), True Destiny (20/1), Falco Du Sauzay (22/1), Deo Bellator (22/1), Oromo (22/1), Miss Polly Shelby (22/1), Lady Iseult (22/1), Kingfisher Lane (25/1), Minella Moment (25/1), Think Positive (25/1), Greenandwhitearmy (40/1), Serpolette (40/1), Keepthefaithinme (66/1), Made In Pimlico (66/1)

SWEET WILL is in top form and the obvious port of call in this tricky contest. The betting could be interesting with a number of potential tartars present, Minella Moment, on debut for Gordon Elliott, and Miss Polly Shelby, among them.