13:30 Down Royal

Saturday 31 October 2026

All13:0013:3014:0514:3815:1515:5016:20

Lough Construction Maiden Hurdle

4YO plus | 2m 190y | 17 Runners | Turf

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: Conor Stone-Walsh| T: N C Kelly

£6,000 5-y-o, Poet's Word gelding. Half-brother to 4 winners, including top-class hurdler The New One and fairly useful chaser The Newest One. Dam lightly raced over hurdles. Placed on first of 3 starts in points, last of 7 finishers last time (May 2026). Likely a longer-term prospect under Rules.

Image of Stars that are filled with the colour gold

Blueys Unicorse³⁰⁹

Age: 8| Weight: 11-12| J: Ben Harvey| T: D M Christie

28/1

Lightly-raced winner in points. Looked one for later on when down the field in a novice hurdle at this course (2½m, soft) on debut over Christmas.

Form: 21/20-

Filippi

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: Josh Williamson⁽³⁾| T: A Murray

100/1

Smooth Daddy gelding. Dam unraced. Doesn't have much to recommend him on paper. Yard also saddle Calamint.

Fun Daddy^t1²⁰⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: Kieren Buckley| T: E & P Harty

100/1

Yard has had success with this family. Went backwards from a relatively promising debut when well beaten on return at Fairyhouse (2m, soft) in April. Tongue strap on first time, and this will probably be a springboard to handicaps.

Form: 50-

Hazem⁴²

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: Alex Harvey| T: A McCann

100/1

Didn't offer much on the Flat for Saeed Bin Suroor and similar story sent hurdling by current yard on return.

Form: 0

Ilen's Dream³³

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: Conor Smithers⁽⁷⁾| T: G O'Loughlin

100/1

Cheap purchase. Well held in Roscommon bumper on debut last month. Limited appeal starting out over hurdles.

Form: 8

Microscope¹⁶²

Age: 7| Weight: 11-12| J: Michael Kenneally⁽³⁾| T: Peter Buchanan| OR: 98

22/1

Steadily improving when fair fourth behind a couple of next-time-out winners in a Kilbeggan maiden in April. Better than he showed on his end-of-season handicap debut at Downpatrick and could hit the frame if back on song.

Form: 5/0054-9

S T Hamo^h,t²¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: Danny Gilligan| T: A McCann

15/2

Has an ordinary pedigree. Produced his best effort in bumpers (aided by the run of the race) when second at Fairyhouse last time. That form likely to be a fair way off what's required on hurdling debut here.

Form: 0-64352

Skerry Hill¹⁹⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: Jack Kennedy| T: G Elliott| CD

1/9

Cost £205,000 after comfortably winning a small-field point. Overcame inexperience to win here on Rules debut. Improved to justify support/make it 2-2 in bumpers in impressive fashion on return at Ayr in April. Makes plenty of appeal on his useful bumper form, now sent hurdling by leading yard.

Form: 1/11-

War Rooms⁴⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: Eoghan Finegan⁽⁵⁾| T: G Keane

12/1

Useful Flat performer who finished down the field in a couple of maiden hurdles last December. Arrives fit from a season on the level and probably worth noting for handicap hurdles after this run.

Form: 00-

Well Eliot²¹³

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: Danny Mullins| T: J P Flavin

40/1

Eliot gelding. Dam unraced. Placed on the last of his 3 starts in points in April. Hard to be confident taking on some above-average opposition on hurdling bow, even with Danny Mullins booked.

Abando²⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 11-11| J: James Smith⁽³⁾| T: A McCann

15/2

Once-useful performer on the Flat in Germany. Well below that level more recently, including 2 starts in this sphere. Still looked in need of the experience when 14¾ lengths fourth at Fairyhouse latest. Remains capable of better, especially when handicapping.

Form: 34

Je Suis Celebre²⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 11-11| J: Daniel King| T: E McCarthy

28/1

Hasn't gone on from his hurdling debut (in contention for a place when falling). Still has stamina to prove in this sphere and needs this run for a mark.

Form: F57

Calamint³⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: Sean Flanagan| T: A Murray

100/1

Fair Flat winner (isn't bred for jumping) who went backwards from hurdling bow at Listowel last time. Another bound for handicaps.

Form: 59

View The Stars

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: Liam McKenna⁽³⁾| T: P Flood

100/1

Affinisea mare. Half-sister to a point winner. Dam, point winner, sister to unreliable but useful hurdler/chaser (stayed 33f) Alpha Victor. Almost certain to need time/distance.

Rightly Snookered

Age: 4| Weight: 11-4| J: Sean O'Keeffe| T: S Crawley

100/1

€2,000 3-y-o, Vadamos filly. Half-sister to 3 winners, including useful hurdler/chaser Mint Boy and useful hurdler/chaser West Cork Wildway. Cheap purchase given her pedigree. Unlikely to be making an impact first time up.

Non-Runners

Young Rebel²⁵

Weight: 11-12| Age: 5

T: E Mullins J: Non Runner

Forecasts

Skerry Hill (1/5), Young Rebel (13/8), S T Hamo (13/2), Abando (8/1), War Rooms (16/1), Microscope (25/1), Well Eliot (33/1), Blueys Unicorse (50/1), Je Suis Celebre (50/1), View The Stars (66/1), Fun Daddy (66/1), Filippi (66/1), Billy Bob Junior (66/1), Rightly Snookered (66/1), Hazem (100/1), Calamint (100/1), Ilen's Dream (100/1)

Hurdling debutant SKERRY HILL looks a fine prospect and can maintain his unbeaten sequence. Young Rebel is the pick of those with experience and can give him most to think about.