13:35 Down Royal

Monday 1 May 2023

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

Ballygowan Opportunity Maiden Hurdle

Off time: 13:35 | Winning time: 4m 11.7s

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Selected odds by:

Screaming Petrus³⁴⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: E Walsh| T: P J Rothwell

150/1

Fairly useful Flat winner, making GB/IRE jumps debut. Ninth of 11 in handicap (5/1) at Haydock (11.8f, good). Off 11 months. First run for yard after leaving David Loughnane. Betting can guide.

Form:

Sign From Above²²

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: B W Harvey⁽²⁾| T: Peter Fahey| BF| C

11/4

Fair Flat winner. Twice-raced maiden over hurdles. 10/3, below-par sixth of 21 in novice hurdle at Fairyhouse (16f, good to soft) 22 days ago. Solid claims if back on track.

Form: 46-

The Mediator¹⁸³

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: Danny Gilligan⁽⁴⁾| T: G Elliott| CD

2/1

Promising sort. Respectable fifth of 13 in novice hurdle (5/2) at Wexford (16f, heavy). Off 6 months. Open to progress.

Form: 13/25-

Baltic Bird^h⁴⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 11-6| J: R J Condon⁽²⁾| T: W Durkan

11/2

Useful 11.5f Flat winner for John & Thady Gosden. Changed hands for 70,000gns and posted a promising fourth of 19 in maiden hurdle at Down Royal last month. Form has been franked so he can build on it now. Interesting.

Form: 4-

Samadabad^t²²

Age: 4| Weight: 11-6| J: G Brouder⁽²⁾| T: Miss Ellmarie Holden

10/1

Fair Flat winner. Twice-raced maiden. 10/3, fifth of 15 in juvenile hurdle at Cork (16f, good to soft) 22 days ago. Needs to build on it.

Form: 35-

Lady Leanora³²⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: Kieren Buckley| T: A J Martin| BF

80/1

Fair Flat winner, making GB/IRE jumps debut. 4/1, sixth of 16 in handicap at Gowran (8f, good to soft). Off 10 months. First run for yard after leaving D. K. Weld. Market can guide.

Form:

Big Belief^t⁵²

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: D Butler⁽⁴⁾| T: S Fahey

125/1

Once-raced maiden. Ninth of 14 in handicap (18/1) at Dundalk (12f) 52 days ago. Switches from Flat to hurdles. Tongue strap on for 1st time in this code.

Form: P-

Dinoland¹⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: Thomas Reilly⁽⁴⁾| T: J C McConnell

33/1

Thrice-raced maiden under NH rules. First run since leaving Willie Mullins when running-on eighth of 12 in novice hurdle at Ballinrobe (17.4f, soft, 16/1) 17 days ago. Not discounted on his yard debut.

Form: 778-

John W Creasy³¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: T N Brett⁽⁴⁾| T: Ms M Mullins

33/1

Thrice-raced maiden under NH rules. Sixth of 9 in novice hurdle (14/1) at Wexford (20.7f, heavy) 31 days ago. More is required.

Form: 5/4406-

Kalsman⁷³

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: Patrick M O'Brien⁽⁴⁾| T: L Lennon

250/1

Lightly-raced maiden. 300/1, last of 14 in Flat maiden at Dundalk (12f) 73 days ago. Makes hurdles debut.

Form: 8989-

Kilballyowen²³

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: L Quinlan⁽²⁾| T: A J Martin

100/1

Twice-raced maiden. Tongue strap on for 1st time, twelfth of 24 in novice hurdle at Fairyhouse (20f, soft, 150/1) 23 days ago. Lots more is required.

Form: 7/100-

Kilkee Royal³⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: Shane Fenelon⁽⁴⁾| T: Jamie Sloan

33/1

Vendangeur gelding. Half-brother to 3 winners, including useful hurdler/high-class chaser Royal Rendezvous. Betting can prove a good indicator.

Form: 2F3-

Monsieur Azul¹⁴⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: J P O'Sullivan| T: P Nolan

14/1

Once-raced maiden. Fourth of 5 in bumper (17/2) at Fairyhouse (16f, heavy) on NH debut 148 days ago. Makes hurdles debut and no forlorn hope.

Form: 4-

Now Go Soldier Go⁴⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: Ben Bromley⁽⁴⁾| T: S R B Crawford

25/1

Once-raced maiden. Eleventh of 19 in novice hurdle (25/1) at this course (16.9f, heavy) on NH debut 45 days ago.

Form: 620-

That's About Right²⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: C Owens⁽⁴⁾| T: P J Rothwell

150/1

Thrice-raced maiden under NH rules. Thirteenth of 18 in novice hurdle (200/1) at Clonmel (16.6f, heavy) on hurdles bow 25 days ago.

Form: 650-

The Belmont Boys^h1,t⁷⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: M J Molloy⁽⁴⁾| T: D A McLoughlin

250/1

Lightly-raced maiden under NH rules. Thirteenth of 16 in novice hurdle at Navan (16f, good to soft, 200/1) 78 days ago. Hooded for 1st time.

Form: 0F800-

Top Speed^t1²⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: M P O'Connor| T: H De Bromhead| OR: 110| BF

7/2

Lightly-raced maiden under NH rules. 11/8, good fourth of 18 in novice hurdle at Clonmel (16.6f, heavy) 25 days ago. Tongue strap on 1st time. Trainer going well so he's well in the mix.

Form: 13/864-

Alkascotch³¹

Age: 5| Weight: 10-11| J: J G Gilligan⁽⁴⁾| T: S R B Crawford

100/1

Once-raced maiden. 50/1 and tongue strap on, pulled up in novice hurdle at Wexford (20.7f, heavy) on NH debut 31 days ago, pulled up before 3 out.

Form: P-

Lothbeg³¹

Age: 5| Weight: 10-11| J: Philip Byrnes⁽²⁾| T: S R B Crawford

50/1

Once-raced maiden. Fifth of 11 in novice hurdle at Wexford (20.7f, heavy, 100/1) on NH debut 31 days ago. Needs to take a step forward.

Form: 5-

Non-Runners

Pay The Tab

Weight: 10-12| Age: 4

T: G Elliott J: Reserve 1

Colonel Bellew⁴⁹⁰

Weight: 11-4| Age: 6

T: H De Bromhead J: Reserve 2

Coffee Bay¹⁵

Weight: 11-4| Age: 5

T: J P Flavin J: Reserve 3

Forecasts

The Mediator (2/1), Sign From Above (11/4), Top Speed (7/2), Baltic Bird (11/2), Coffee Bay (6/1), Samadabad (10/1), Monsieur Azul (14/1), Now Go Soldier Go (25/1), Colonel Bellew (25/1), John W Creasy (33/1), Kilkee Royal (33/1), Dinoland (33/1), Pay The Tab (33/1), Lothbeg (50/1), Lady Leanora (80/1), Kilballyowen (100/1), Alkascotch (100/1), Big Belief (125/1), That's About Right (150/1), Screaming Petrus (150/1), Kalsman (250/1), The Belmont Boys (250/1)

Not so competitive as the numbers suggest and BALTIC BIRD, a useful Flat winner for the Gosdens, is fancied to build on his promising hurdles debut fourth at Down Royal (form has been franked) and open his account in this sphere. The Mediator returns from a lay-off but is still feared most from the in-form Gordon Elliott yard with Top Speed and Sign From Above both with the form to have a say too.