19:45 Downpatrick

Friday 19 May 2023

All17:0017:3018:0518:4019:1519:4520:20

Down Royal Corporation Of Horse Breeders Hunters Chase

Off time: 19:46 | Winning time: 7m 30.1s

Billaway^p,t²¹

Age: 11| Weight: 12-0| J: Mr P W Mullins| T: W P Mullins| OR: 141| C

10/3

Useful chaser. Course winner. 7/2, unseated rider in hunter chase at Punchestown (24f, good to soft) 21 days ago. Cheekpieces back on. Respected on pick of form.

Form: 1/21F2U-

Dento Des Obeaux³⁶

Age: 10| Weight: 12-0| J: Mr D G Lavery| T: Patrick Turley| OR: 125

7/1

Fairly useful chaser. Winner in chase at Thurles in March. Excellent sixth of 27 in hunter chase (20/1) at Aintree (21.1f, good) 36 days ago. Significantly up in trip. Respected.

Form: 2/21116-

Er Dancer^b²⁰

Age: 9| Weight: 12-0| J: Mr R James⁽⁷⁾| T: S Doyle| OR: 116

16/1

Fairly useful chaser. Fourth of 5 in hunter chase (14/1) at Fairyhouse (25.2f, good to soft) 41 days ago. Needs to up his game.

Form: 431443-

Russian Diamond^p¹²

Age: 9| Weight: 12-0| J: Mr R L McCrory⁽⁷⁾| T: J J Hanlon| OR: 133

66/1

Usefuln chaser at best. First run since leaving Emmet Mullins when fifth of 8 in hunter chase (14/1) at Cork (20f, soft) 39 days ago. Significantly up in trip. Others preferred.

Form: U1253-P

Rust To Riches^t1⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 12-0| J: Mr D Higgins⁽⁷⁾| T: N McCluskey

66/1

Shirocco gelding. Brother to fairly useful hurdler Metersandmasks. Successful on last of 5 starts in points (May 13). Worth a market check on Rules debut.

Form: 733-21

Shantou Show^t¹⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 12-0| J: Mr O McGill⁽⁷⁾| T: N C Kelly| C

15/2

First run since leaving Sean McParlan when 11/4 and tongue strap on for 1st time, won 10-runner hunter chase at Tipperary (23.8f, soft) 15 days ago. Open to progress and merits plenty of respect.

Form: 511-1

Vaucelet²¹

Age: 8| Weight: 12-0| J: Mr B O'Neill| T: D M Christie| OR: 140| BF

4/6

Useful chaser. Two wins from 5 runs last season. 2/1, creditable second of 11 in hunter chase at Punchestown (24f, good to soft) 21 days ago, running on. Hard to beat.

Form: 2/11172-

Non-Runners

Le Malin⁶³

Weight: 12-0| Age: 9

T: S McParlan J: Mr N McParlan

Forecasts

Vaucelet (4/6), Billaway (10/3), Le Malin (7/1), Dento Des Obeaux (7/1), Shantou Show (15/2), Er Dancer (16/1), Russian Diamond (66/1), Rust To Riches (66/1)

VAUCELET has the best form and arrives on the back of a solid showing at Punchestown, so he's preferred to recent Tipperary winner Shantou Show. Billaway is also likely to be involved if he keeps mistakes to a minimum.