16:30 Down Royal

Monday 1 May 2023

All13:3514:1014:4515:2015:5516:3017:05

C&C White Maiden Hunters Chase

Off time: 16:31 | Winning time: 6m 3.5s

Ballydesmond¹⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 12-0| J: Mr O McGill⁽⁷⁾| T: Caroline Mccaldin

10/1

Presenting gelding. Dam unraced sister to (stayed 2½m) Go All The Way and (stayed 3m) Dont Tell No One (both fairly useful hurdle winners/useful chasers). Winning pointer, runner-up last month.

Form: U/24212-

Faith Loving²⁹

Age: 8| Weight: 12-0| J: Mr N McParlan| T: Caroline Mccaldin| BF

17/2

Lightly-raced maiden. Multiple point winner but below form in this sphere when fifth of 9 in hunter chase (16/5) at Downpatrick (23.4f, heavy) 29 days ago. Others more persuasive.

Form: 1/4D645-

Focus Point¹⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 12-0| J: Mr D T Hyde⁽⁷⁾| T: T E Hyde

9/4

Twice-raced maiden. 16/1, fourteenth of 15 in bumper at Tipperary (18f, good to soft). Off 24 months. Completed hat-trick in points this year and warrants respect on chase debut.

Form: P/21112-

Hit The Button^t1²²

Age: 5| Weight: 12-0| J: Mr T Walsh⁽⁷⁾| T: M Butler

16/1

Lightly-raced maiden. Pulled up in handicap hurdle (50/1) at Wexford (20.7f, heavy), dropping away. Off 6 months. Easily won on debut in Points recently. Makes chase bow.Tongue strap on for 1st time.

Form: 00/0P1-

Sifaka^p1⁹

Age: 8| Weight: 12-0| J: Alex Harvey⁽⁷⁾| T: D M Christie

10/1

Presenting gelding. Dam dual winning pointer. Wears cheekpieces. Won Point last month and worth a check in market on NH debut.

Form: FPF/21P-

Sizing Diamond¹⁴

Age: 8| Weight: 12-0| J: Mr J Dunne⁽⁷⁾| T: J T R Dreaper

11/2

Lightly-raced maiden. Winning pointer who found improvement when fourth of 7 in hunter chase at Tramore (21.7f, good to soft) 14 days ago. Holds strong claims.

Form: 1835F4-

Skol⁶⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 12-0| J: Anna McGuinness⁽⁷⁾| T: J J Lambe

28/1

Pulled up in novice chase at Downpatrick (23.5f, good to soft, 14/1), losing place quickly. Off 10 months. First run for yard after leaving Noel Meade. Last of 4 finishers sole start in points.

Form: 43UP/P4-

Ta Se Rua^p²¹

Age: 10| Weight: 12-0| J: Mr D A Mulcahy⁽⁷⁾| T: P J Healy

40/1

Lightly-raced maiden. Winning pointer who fared a little better in this sphere when fourth of 8 in hunter chase at Cork (24f, soft, 33/1) 21 days ago. Others more appealing, though.

Form: 5/P4FP4-

The Sad Shepherd^p1⁷¹

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

5/1

Yeats gelding. Dam point/bumper winner, half-sister to useful hurdler (stayed 21f) Glynn. Wears cheekpieces. Winning pointer, last of 4 finishers last time (Feb 19).

Form: 541/4-

True Or False^p²¹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-7| J: Mr H C Swan⁽⁵⁾| T: D McNamara

11/2

Made the frame in several Points and posted creditable second of 14 in hunter chase at Cork (24f, soft) on debut over fences 21 days ago. Shortlisted.

Form: 3/244P2-

Forecasts

Focus Point (9/4), The Sad Shepherd (5/1), True Or False (11/2), Sizing Diamond (11/2), Faith Loving (17/2), Ballydesmond (10/1), Sifaka (10/1), Hit The Button (16/1), Skol (28/1), Ta Se Rua (40/1)

TRUE OR FALSE acquitted herself well on chase debut at Cork last month and gets the nod. Sizing Diamond looks the likeliest danger on form, whilst Focus Point may be the pick of the newcomers to this discipline.