17:53 Down Royal

Friday 29 August 2025

All16:5017:2317:5318:2318:5319:2319:53

Dale Farm Dromona Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 17:53 | Winning time: 3m 59.6s

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Selected odds by:

Dunkerque²⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 12-0| J: Keith Donoghue| T: G P Cromwell| OR: 112| D

13/2

Winner in hurdle at Ballinrobe in July. Creditable fourth of 9 in handicap hurdle (7/2) at Cork (17.1f, good) 25 days ago so needs considering.

Form: 44-3014

Avalo²⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 11-10| J: Jake Coen| T: Peter Fahey| OR: 108

7/2

Winner in hurdle at Wexford in May. 4/1, good second of 9 in handicap hurdle at Cork (17.1f, good) 25 days ago, running on. Not taken lightly.

Form: 07-8162

Burru^h²⁴

Age: 7| Weight: 11-10| J: Mr R Sugrue⁽⁷⁾| T: L Kenny| OR: 108

8/1

Good third of 16 in handicap chase at Roscommon (21.7f, good to soft, 8/1) 24 days ago. Switches from chase to hurdles. Enters calculations.

Form: 612-203

Duke Otto¹³

Age: 7| Weight: 11-9| J: Peter Smithers⁽⁷⁾| T: P J Flynn| OR: 107

10/1

14/1 and cheekpieces on for 1st time, solid third of 9 in handicap at Tramore (16f, good to soft) 13 days ago. Switches from Flat to hurdles and much respected.

Form: 2351-36

Fathom Two³⁰

Age: 8| Weight: 11-9| J: T E O'Connor⁽⁷⁾| T: M Fahey| OR: 107

33/1

80/1, first run since leaving Gavin Patrick Cromwell when sixteenth of 18 in maiden at Galway (12.2f, good to soft) on flat debut 30 days ago. Switches from Flat to hurdles. Down in trip.

Form: P/00P5P-

Swelltime¹³

Age: 9| Weight: 11-7| J: Danny Gilligan| T: W J O'Doherty| OR: 105

14/1

Scored at Kilbeggan in July but only eighth of 9 in handicap at Tramore (16f, good to soft, 6/1) 13 days ago. Reverts to hurdles now and can make his presence felt.

Form: 007-513

Cathryns Ruby^t²⁵

Age: 8| Weight: 11-5| J: S D Torrens| T: P T Foley| OR: 103

25/1

Tongue strap on for 1st time, unseated rider 5th in handicap hurdle at Cork (18.4f, good, 11/1) 25 days ago. No forlorn hope.

Form: 7F3-40U

Desert Haven^t¹⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: Donagh Meyler| T: N Meade| OR: 102

8/1

Creditable third of 9 in handicap hurdle (9/2) at Ballinrobe (16.5f, good) 18 days ago. Can make his presence felt again.

Form: 7000-23

Bannow Blaze^t²⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 11-3| J: D E Mullins| T: J Fogarty| OR: 101

15/2

Tongue strap on for 1st time, excellent second of 18 in handicap hurdle (16/1) at Cork (17.1f, good) 25 days ago. Has to be taken seriously nudged up just 1 lb.

Form: F07-U52

Bid Up²¹⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 11-1| J: J G Gilligan⁽⁵⁾| T: P J Gilligan| OR: 102

40/1

Last of 6 in juvenile hurdle (14/1) at Punchestown (16.2f, heavy) 7 months ago. First run for yard after leaving Ross O'Sullivan.

Form: 577576-

Stoneyford Lady²¹

Age: 6| Weight: 10-13| J: J C Gainford| T: H De Bromhead| OR: 97

14/1

Ninth of 14 in handicap hurdle (11/2) at Wexford (16.8f, good to soft) 21 days ago. Needs a couple of these to falter.

Form: 8/734-89

Agent Tequila¹²

Age: 7| Weight: 10-6| J: A Harvey⁽³⁾| T: J C McConnell| OR: 90

14/1

12/1, last of 13 in handicap hurdle at Tramore (16.6f, good) 12 days ago. Uphill task.

Form: 008/06-0

Eastmore^t¹²

Age: 5| Weight: 10-6| J: Philip Byrnes| T: C Byrnes| OR: 90

4/1

Eleventh of 13 in handicap hurdle at Tramore (16.6f, good, 16/1) 12 days ago, not knocked about. Tongue strap back on and one to consider if the market vibes are positive.

Form: 20-8700

Non-Runners

Rock Ya Boy Ya⁶⁸¹

Weight: 10-10| Age: 7

T: Francis Casey J: A Balfe

Kinbara Hills²²

Weight: 10-5| Age: 6

T: S Wilson J: Ms E Dunseath

Finnicky Filly¹⁸

Weight: 10-0| Age: 7

T: J P Ryan J: S Cleary-Farrell

Pleasureofpressure¹⁸

Weight: 10-0| Age: 5

T: P J Rothwell J: Gary Noonan

Forecasts

Avalo (7/2), Eastmore (4/1), Dunkerque (13/2), Bannow Blaze (15/2), Desert Haven (8/1), Burru (8/1), Duke Otto (10/1), Pleasureofpressure (12/1), Stoneyford Lady (14/1), Agent Tequila (14/1), Swelltime (14/1), Finnicky Filly (16/1), Cathryns Ruby (25/1), Rock Ya Boy Ya (25/1), Fathom Two (33/1), Kinbara Hills (33/1), Bid Up (40/1)

BANNOW BLAZE rates just the pick of the weights on the back of his excellent Cork second so edges the verdict in this highly competitive handicap. Swelltime figures on a handy mark and could emerge as the main threat now back in this sphere, although Desert Haven, Eastmore, Burru and Avalo all need factoring into this competitive handicap too.