14:50 Downpatrick

Sunday 2 April 2023

All13:4014:1514:5015:2516:0016:3517:10

Tote Always SP Or Better At Downpatrick Handicap Hurdle (80-109)

Off time: 14:50 | Winning time: 4m 35.4s

Roi De Dubai³⁵

Age: 11| Weight: 12-0| J: Brian Hayes| T: J C McConnell| OR: 109| C

40/1

Course winner. 100/1, fell in handicap hurdle at Naas (15.5f, good to soft) 35 days ago.

Form: 4-0000F

Steppenwolf^p¹⁰²

Age: 5| Weight: 11-11| J: L P Dempsey| T: G P Cromwell| OR: 106

7/1

Cheekpieces on for 1st time, good second of 16 in handicap hurdle at Fairyhouse (16f, heavy, 11/1) 102 days ago, having run of race.

Form: 0-146F2

Neigh Botha^p1,t1²⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-10| J: C McGivern⁽⁷⁾| T: G Elliott| OR: 105

5/1

11/1, twenty second of 26 in handicap hurdle at Navan (20f, good to soft) 29 days ago. Yard in good form. Tongue strap on 1st time, cheekpieces on 1st time. Not dismissed.

Form: 1-38460

Tipp For Mac^p³¹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-7| J: Rachael Blackmore| T: T Cooper| OR: 102

9/2

11/8, good third of 10 in novice hurdle at Clonmel (16f, soft) 31 days ago. Cheekpieces back on. Makes handicap hurdle debut.

Form: 00-4673

Trishknowsbest^h,t⁵⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: Keith Donoghue| T: Ian Donoghue| OR: 100| CD

9/2

C&D winner. Latest win in hurdle at Fairyhouse in October. Tailed-off fifth of 6 to Magic Daze in listed chase (250/1) at Naas (16f, good to soft) 50 days ago. Switches from chase to hurdles.

Form: 314295

Cave Court^t²²

Age: 6| Weight: 11-2| J: J S McGarvey| T: N C Kelly| OR: 97

16/1

14/1 and tongue strap on for 1st time, last of 7 in handicap hurdle at Ayr (16f, good to firm) 22 days ago.

Form: 042007

Carlton Gardens¹⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 10-13| J: Kieren Buckley⁽³⁾| T: G P Cromwell| OR: 102

40/1

Fair maiden on the Flat. Thrice-raced maiden. Eighth of 13 in juvenile hurdle (125/1) at Cork (16f, heavy) 10 days ago. Makes handicap hurdle debut. Should have more to offer.

Form: 008

Gamigin^h1¹⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 10-13| J: Ricky Doyle| T: N C Kelly| OR: 94

16/1

18/1, pulled up in handicap hurdle at Down Royal (20f, heavy) 16 days ago. Hooded for 1st time.

Form: 70507P

Warm In Gorey^t⁴⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 10-7| J: Simon Torrens| T: P J Rothwell| OR: 88

5/1

6/1 and tongue strap on for 1st time, below form fifth of 15 in handicap hurdle at Clonmel (16f, heavy) 45 days ago. Not taken lightly.

Form: 062575

I Don't Get It²¹⁶

Age: 9| Weight: 10-5| J: G P Brouder⁽⁵⁾| T: N McCluskey| OR: 86| C

6/1

C&D winner. One win from 49 NH runs. 5/1, tenth of 15 in handicap hurdle at this course (18.8f, good). Off 7 months. Worth a market check.

Form: 529330

Melnik²³

Age: 4| Weight: 10-4| J: Shane O'Callaghan⁽⁷⁾| T: C A McBratney| OR: 93

18/1

Lightly-raced maiden. 6/1, sixth of 9 in novice hurdle at Ayr (16f, good) 23 days ago. Makes handicap hurdle debut.

Form: 0006

Tenth Amendment^t⁴⁶

Age: 9| Weight: 10-3| J: P J O'Hanlon⁽⁵⁾| T: K H Clarke| OR: 84

33/1

50/1, ninth of 13 in handicap at Dundalk (16f) 46 days ago, merely passing beaten rivals. Switches from Flat to hurdles. Poor on last hurdle outing.

Form: 0/700-00

Forecasts

Trishknowsbest (9/2), Tipp For Mac (9/2), Warm In Gorey (5/1), Neigh Botha (5/1), I Don't Get It (6/1), Steppenwolf (7/1), Gamigin (16/1), Cave Court (16/1), Melnik (18/1), Tenth Amendment (33/1), Carlton Gardens (40/1), Roi De Dubai (40/1)

TIPP FOR MAC was a good third in a novice at Clonmel last time and looks open to improvement, so he's preferred to Steppenwolf, who arrives on the back of an excellent run at Fairyhouse. Warm In Gorey is also considered.