16:00 Downpatrick

Sunday 7 August 2022

All14:3015:0015:3016:0016:3017:0017:30

Tote Always SP Or Better At Downpatrick Mares Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 16:00 | Winning time: 5m 34.90s

Motown Maggie^p¹²⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 12-0| J: Jack Kennedy| T: G Elliott| OR: 116

10/3

Winner in hurdle at Fairyhouse in November. 17/2, best effort when second of 9 in handicap hurdle at Ayr (24.3f, good to soft) 4 months ago. Every chance she will be in the mix.

Form: 123272-

Merry Poppins³⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-9| J: C Brassil⁽⁵⁾| T: J Motherway| OR: 111

8/1

Eleven runs since last win in 2020. 10/1, below form eighth of 17 in handicap hurdle at Tipperary (20f, good to soft) 38 days ago.

Form: F037-58

Lighthouse Rose^p¹⁹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-6| J: Mr O McGill⁽⁷⁾| T: M M McNiff| OR: 108| CD

12/1

C&D winner. 16/1, ran poorly on the back of a chase fall 6 weeks earlier when last of 7 in handicap hurdle at Ballinrobe (21.6f, good) 19 days ago.

Form: 0P8-0F7

Aprils Joy^t³⁶

Age: 7| Weight: 11-3| J: Kieren Buckley⁽⁵⁾| T: G P Cromwell| OR: 105| C

4/1

Course winner. Respectable seventh of 14 in handicap hurdle at Bellewstown (24f, good, 12/1) 36 days ago. Yard in good form and having dropped to her last winning mark, she's fancied to go well.

Form: 1070-47

Some Dove²⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-3| J: Rachael Blackmore| T: H De Bromhead| OR: 105

8/1

Capitalised on the drop in grade after 6 months off when winning 14-runner maiden hurdle (18/5) at Kilbeggan (16f, good) in June. Easy to back and not quite in the same form on handicap debut at Sligo 4 weeks ago. Can get back on track upped in trip.

Form: 950-15

Park Hind^p1¹⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 10-11| J: C G O'Dwyer⁽⁷⁾| T: A Lynch| OR: 99

11/2

16/1, belatedly confirmed her hurdling debut form when second of 7 in handicap hurdle at Ballinrobe (21.6f, good) 19 days ago, collared post having gone clear early in straight. Cheekpieces on 1st time.

Form: 450-002

Game And Glory^p1⁵³

Age: 6| Weight: 10-5| J: P J O'Hanlon⁽⁵⁾| T: P J Rothwell| OR: 93

9/1

18/1, never involved when ninth of 14 in handicap hurdle at Wexford (20.4f, good to soft) 53 days ago. Cheekpieces on 1st time.

Form: 4456-09

Icee M B A^p1¹⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 10-4| J: Phillip Enright| T: M Hourigan| OR: 92| C

9/2

C&D winner. Three wins from 12 runs last season. Creditable eighth of 15 in handicap hurdle (15/2) at Limerick (24f, good) 17 days ago. Cheekpieces on 1st time.

Form: 8-88448

Non-Runners

Karen's Gift⁷⁴

Weight: 11-0| Age: 8

T: P J Rothwell J: J P O'Sullivan

Forecasts

Motown Maggie (10/3), Aprils Joy (4/1), Icee M B A (9/2), Park Hind (11/2), Some Dove (8/1), Merry Poppins (8/1), Game And Glory (9/1), Lighthouse Rose (12/1), Karen's Gift (20/1)

This can go the way of PARK HIND, who went agonisingly close from 5 lb out of the handicap at Ballinrobe last month and with first-time cheekpieces applied to try eke out that bit extra, Andrew Lynch's mare can gain a breakthrough success. Motown Maggie ran her best race when runner-up at Ayr 4 months ago so she heads up the opposition on reappearance, with Aprils Joy and Some Dove also not discounted.