13:35 Down Royal

Monday 4 May 2026

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

Ballygowan Maiden Hurdle

Off time: 13:35 | Winning time: 4m 6.10s

Angelo Dundee³³⁶

Age: 7| Weight: 11-12| J: Mike O'Connor| T: H De Bromhead

4/1

Winning bumper debut in April 2023 but lightly raced since. Interesting if belatedly building on that early promise now starting out over hurdles for new yard after 11 months off.

Form: 144/23-

Ehteyat²⁴

Age: 7| Weight: 11-12| J: Tom Kelly⁽⁷⁾| T: M K Flannery| OR: 121

6/1

Fairly useful Flat stayer matched that level when placed in maiden hurdles 3 times across the winter. Found it a struggle in competitive Aintree handicap 3 weeks ago and this is easier.

Form: 322330-

Loyal Touch^t³¹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: Gavin Brouder| T: D Hogan

100/1

Fair Flat winner. Recent efforts in that sphere no more than respectable and a watching brief is advised now hurdling.

Form:

O'Reilly^t¹⁸⁴

Age: 8| Weight: 11-12| J: John Shinnick| T: Peter Fahey| OR: 112

28/1

Fairly useful winner on the Flat. Placed in 3 maiden hurdles before finishing well held here when last seen in November (bad mistake 3 out, looked none too keen). Tongue tie goes on.

Form: 9/3320-

Persian Bliss^t⁵²

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: Ricky Doyle| T: D Hogan

80/1

Useful on the Flat for Adrian Murray in 2025 but nowhere near that level in 2 Flat outings at Dundalk for Denis Hogan, with latest second coming in a claimer. Makes hurdle debut.

Form:

Small Fry¹⁸⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: Hugh Horgan⁽⁵⁾| T: J P O'Brien

7/2

Developed into a useful handicapper on the Flat. Only modest form in 2 hurdles for previous yard at the end of 2024 but should be capable of better in this sphere at some point.

Form: 35/

Sneddy Eddie^h1¹⁴⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: Paddy Cleary⁽⁷⁾| T: D Broad

250/1

Modest Flat winner. Little impact in 3 runs over hurdles at the end of 2025 and returns for new yard.

Form: 000-

Theflyingking¹⁶⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: Kevin Healy⁽⁷⁾| T: G Elliott

8/11

Point/bumper winner who was unlucky not to make a successful hurdles debut in maiden here in October (in control when fell last). Again managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory in Navan Grade 3 since but that was solely temperament-related as opposed to jumping-linked. Sets a good standard.

Form: 1221/F2-

Victoria Kesia¹⁴⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: Adam Leahy⁽⁷⁾| T: J J Hanlon

200/1

Fair Flat winner. Effort flattened out on hurdles debut at Thurles (2m) and faced a stiff task next time. Stamina remains a concern.

Form: 6P-

Certamen¹⁹⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: Kieren Buckley| T: E Buckley

66/1

Stepped up from hurdling debut while again finishing well held at Limerick 6 months ago. One for handicaps.

Form: 40/56-

Clone Cross³⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: Eoin Walsh| T: S Cavanagh

250/1

Maiden pointer and little impact in 2 hurdles in recent weeks.

Form: F3-66PP

Glendaars Secret

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: P J O'Hanlon| T: D A McLoughlin

200/1

Valirann gelding. Half-brother to 4.5f-6f winner in Scandinavia Archers Ignite.

Form:

King Of The Greys¹⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: Ben Kennedy⁽⁷⁾| T: Peter Fahey

200/1

In the frame sole outing in points. Well held in 2 maiden hurdles last month.

Form: 4-0088

Berto Ramirez⁵²

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: Aidan Kelly⁽³⁾| T: A McNamara| OR: 115

25/1

Fair Flat maiden out of his depth in the Triumph Hurdle but place claims on his previous form.

Form: 577440-

Astelia¹⁶⁹

Age: 7| Weight: 10-11| J: Ethan O'Sullivan⁽⁷⁾| T: Peter Fahey| OR: 106

12/1

Fair maiden on the Flat and ran to a similar level when runner-up in maidens on first 4 starts over hurdles (latest over C&D). Given a break since struggling at Cheltenham in November and place claims again in this company.

Form: 222270-

Cinnabar Moth¹⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 10-11| J: Philip Donovan⁽³⁾| T: Liz Doyle

200/1

Little impact in bumpers and was held back by her jumping sent hurdling after 11 months off at Tramore.

Form: 6/09-88

Hathaways Cottage^t²²

Age: 8| Weight: 10-11| J: Ben Harvey| T: D M Christie

100/1

Multiple point winner showed first form under Rules in hunter chase here in March and some promise on last month's hurdling debut.

Form: PP4P55

Mollys Star^h1³⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 10-11| J: Eoghan Finegan⁽⁷⁾| T: P E Collins

66/1

Well held in mares maiden hurdles/bumper. Hood goes on.

Form: 55699

Unknown Fortune

Age: 8| Weight: 10-11| J: Liam McKenna⁽⁵⁾| T: J P Ryan

66/1

Soldier of Fortune mare. Dam (h98), 2½m hurdle winner (stayed 3m), half-sister to smart hurdler/chaser (stayed 21f) Don't Touch It and useful hurdler (stayed 2¾m) Lackaneen Leader.

Form:

Non-Runners

Oriole¹⁵⁷

Weight: 11-5| Age: 7

T: M Fahey J: Thomas O'Connor

Brohatna⁴⁶⁸

Weight: 11-4| Age: 6

T: M Rice J: Reserve 1

Brave Lady²⁵

Weight: 10-11| Age: 5

T: Peter Fahey J: Reserve 2

Betty's Glen⁷⁵

Weight: 10-5| Age: 4

T: J J Hanlon J: Reserve 3

Forecasts

Theflyingking (8/11), Small Fry (7/2), Angelo Dundee (4/1), Ehteyat (6/1), Brave Lady (15/2), Astelia (12/1), Berto Ramirez (25/1), Oriole (25/1), O'Reilly (28/1), Mollys Star (66/1), Unknown Fortune (66/1), Certamen (66/1), Betty's Glen (66/1), Persian Bliss (80/1), Hathaways Cottage (100/1), Loyal Touch (100/1), Brohatna (150/1), King Of The Greys (200/1), Glendaars Secret (200/1), Cinnabar Moth (200/1), Victoria Kesia (200/1), Sneddy Eddie (250/1), Clone Cross (250/1)

There are real doubts over THEFLYINGKING's temperament but he's hard to get away from at this level having gone close in a Navan Grade 2 when last seen in November. Angelo Dundee is interesting starting out for Henry de Bromhead, with Ehteyat completing the shortlist.