16:20 Downpatrick

Sunday 15 June 2025

All14:0514:4015:1515:5016:2016:5017:20

Dunlop Homes Rated Novice Hurdle

Off time: 16:20 | Winning time: 4m 29.00s

Boston Rajj⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 12-2| J: Carl Millar⁽⁵⁾| T: G Elliott| OR: 114

5/4

Fairly useful hurdler. Career best when winning 15-runner handicap hurdle (11/2) at Sligo (25.8f, good) 5 days ago, comfortably. Significantly back down in trip and he's a big player.

Form: 5530-21

Dunkerque⁵¹

Age: 5| Weight: 12-0| J: Alix Balfe⁽⁷⁾| T: G P Cromwell| OR: 110

8/1

Fairly useful Flat winner. Thrice-raced maiden. Fourth of 14 in novice hurdle (6/1) at Kilbeggan (16f, good to soft) 51 days ago. Open to improvement.

Form: 644-

Sage Conseil^t⁶⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 12-0| J: J Smith⁽⁵⁾| T: J C McConnell

4/1

Lightly-raced winner under Rules. 3/1, didn't need to be at best when winning 5-runner novice hurdle at Sedgefield (19.8f, good) 65 days ago, finding extra. More needed here, but he needs considering all the same.

Form: 1/721-

Warriors Wood³⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 12-0| J: Dillon Maxwell⁽⁵⁾| T: A McNamara

6/1

Thrice-raced winner under Rules. Won 11-runner novice hurdle (14/1) at Kilbeggan (16f, good) on hurdles bow 30 days ago, driven out. More on his plate here.

Form: 59-1

Ballyearl^h³²

Age: 4| Weight: 11-9| J: Mike O'Connor| T: H De Bromhead| OR: 110

11/2

Promising type. Hooded for 1st time, won 15-runner juvenile hurdle (11/2) at Tipperary (16.9f, good to soft) 32 days ago. Merits consideration.

Form: 69-1

Brave Soldier¹⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-3| J: Paddy Hanlon⁽⁷⁾| T: M M McNiff| OR: 99

10/1

Modest hurdler. Creditable fourth of 15 in handicap hurdle at Ballinrobe (16.3f, good, 12/1) 19 days ago. Can give a good account without posing serious threat to principals.

Form: 84706-4

Cap Bernat^h,t²³

Age: 12| Weight: 10-13| J: P J O'Hanlon| T: R McNeilly

33/1

Poor hurdler. 14/1, eleventh of 15 in novice hurdle at this course (18.8f, good) on hurdles bow 23 days ago. Difficult ask.

Form: 266/42-0

Bruant⁵⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 10-8| J: Kevin Sexton| T: A J Martin

40/1

Fairly useful Flat winner. Twice-raced maiden. 66/1, fifteenth of 16 in handicap at Cork (10.4f, soft) on IRE flat debut 57 days ago. Switches from Flat to hurdles. 8/16 on last hurdle outing.

Form: B8-

Forecasts

Boston Rajj (5/4), Sage Conseil (4/1), Ballyearl (11/2), Warriors Wood (6/1), Dunkerque (8/1), Brave Soldier (10/1), Cap Bernat (33/1), Bruant (40/1)

BALLYEARL was strong at the finish when landing a Tipperary juvenile hurdle in a first-time hood (retained here) last month and, with the promise of better come from this 4-y-o, he is taken to follow up. Fellow last-time-out winner Boston Rajj is feared most, while Dunkerque possesses potential and also enters calculations.