19:55 Down Royal

Friday 21 June 2019

All17:4518:1518:5019:2019:5520:3021:00

Apple Recruitment Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 19:55 | Winning time: 5m 56.9s

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Selected odds by:

Dromore Lad⁵⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 11-9| J: D J Hand⁽⁷⁾| T: D A McLoughlin| OR: 127| D

11/2

Winner of four of his 13 starts over hurdles. Sending out mixed messages in a number of starts since December. Ran a credible fifth of 23 beaten 3¾L at Punchestown last month and has a right to be in the mix here.

Form: 18/300-5

The Red Menace^t⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-8| J: A W Short⁽⁵⁾| T: N Meade| OR: 126

7/2

Solid and consistent in three of his last four starts over hurdles including going down to Stacks Mountain at Punchestown earlier this month by a head. More than capable of another big run.

Form: 631P-42

Allee Bleue¹⁹

Age: 9| Weight: 11-5| J: D N Russell| T: G Elliott| OR: 123| BF

25/1

Winner of four of his 14 starts over hurdles. Better than his last run suggests and likely to go well for a yard with a 36% win and place strike rate at this meeting in the last four years.

Form: 26/PF-38

Humm Baby²⁹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-4| J: P Townend| T: M Hourigan| OR: 122

9/2

Won his third hurdle in 12 starts in a Tipperary handicap hurdle last month off a 8lb lower mark beating nine rivals 4L. Looks to be still improving with leading jockey still able to take the ride.

Form: 35124-1

Lomachenko⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 11-2| J: D A Jacob| T: S R B Crawford| OR: 120

25/1

Useful 128-rated handicap hurdler for trainer-Nicky Henderson before leaving for pastures new. Too early to tell when unseating rider on stable debut at Hexham earlier this month and not easily dismissed here.

Form: 84142-U

Jurby⁶⁸

Age: 9| Weight: 11-0| J: D F O'Regan| T: G P Cromwell| OR: 118

16/1

Winner of two of his seven starts over hurdles when in the care of trainer Oliver Sherwood. Market likely to reveal expectations on first start for Champion hurdle winning yard.

Form: 1/344P8-

Vocarium⁴¹

Age: 6| Weight: 10-13| J: K C Sexton| T: Peter Fahey| OR: 117

12/1

Will have disappointed connections failing to progress on a win at Gowran Park in October. Has shown little in four starts since and has plenty to prove at present.

Form: 6170P-4

Mighty Stowaway^b,t¹⁷⁵

Age: 8| Weight: 10-11| J: Rachael Blackmore| T: J J Hanlon| OR: 115

10/1

Currently on a hat-trick of wins over the larger obstacles but the Stowaway gelding's efforts over hurdles leave a little to be desired. Hard to place any faith in.

Form: 288110-

Static Jack⁵⁵

Age: 8| Weight: 10-9| J: J M Moore| T: G P Cromwell| OR: 113| D

10/1

One from 11 handicap hurdler who failed to finish his last couple of starts for Ellmarie Holden. Overall record casts doubt on his ability to get competitive on first start for new yard.

Form: 4P/44PP-

Ozzie's Way^t⁴¹

Age: 6| Weight: 10-5| J: D G Hogan| T: D Hogan| OR: 109

8/1

Good form in the autumn has appeared to have diminished in a number of below par efforts since returning to action in April. Plenty more needed in this group.

Form: 13200-7

British Art⁶

Age: 7| Weight: 10-3| J: D J O'Keeffe⁽⁷⁾| T: R K Watson| OR: 107| C

10/1

Returns miserly figures of one from 19 over hurdles with the Iffraaj gelding difficult to catch right. Possibly best watched unless market vibes suggest otherwise.

Form: 45-2546

Dragon Houdini^t⁷⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 10-1| J: P T Enright| T: S Crawley| OR: 105

9/1

Got off the mark for connections at the fifth time of asking over hurdles landing a 2m4f handicap at Navan in February off a 9lb lower mark. Beaten since but worthy of some consideration.

Form: 884014-

Forecasts

The Red Menace (7/2), Humm Baby (9/2), Dromore Lad (11/2), Ozzie's Way (8/1), Dragon Houdini (9/1), Static Jack (10/1), British Art (10/1), Mighty Stowaway (10/1), Vocarium (12/1), Jurby (16/1), Allee Bleue (25/1), Lomachenko (25/1)

A chance is taken with the Gordon Elliott-trained, ALLEE BLEUE. The yard boast a 36% win and place strike rate at this meeting in the last four years and this Mount Nelson gelding can land the prize running off a 2lb lower mark than his last win over two years ago when with the Philip Hobbs yard. Main dangers are likely to be The Red Menace, beaten a head on his latest start and Tipperary winner, Humm Baby.