Down Royal Racecourse Preview For Eight Race Card

Down Royal Racecourse: preview and tips for Friday’s bumper eight-race card

The Flat racing season continues at Down Royal on Friday with a very competitive and bumper eight-race card for punters heading to the track. 

Racing gets underway at 3.15pm with a maiden contest for two-year-old’s before rounding off at 7.10pm with a 47-65 rated handicap. 

Read below to discover the latest tips and full meeting preview for Down Royal’s card on Friday courtesy of BoyleSports, who offer the latest horse racing odds throughout the season. 

The opening contest on the card sees a field of ten head to the start for a five furlong maiden, open to two-year-old’s only (3.15). Lightning Bear made a promising debut for trainer Jack Dabvidosn when fitted with cheekpieces and finishing third at Cork three weeks ago and improvement is expected here.

The Joseph O’Brien-trained Oxford Rock and Flash The Cash for Jessica Harrington rate the main players, with the latter having far more racecourse experience so arguably sets the standard but needs to bounce back from a sixth at Nass last time out. 

Race two on the Down Royal card is another maiden contest, this time open to three-year-old’s and upwards and once again over the five furlongs (3.50). Trainer Dabvidosn could land a quickfire double on the card with Betsen, who has been expensive to follow but should have too much class in a race like this with a third at Navan on July 13 a good recent run.

Of his rivals, Mint Man is another who needs to bounce back after a below-par fourth of eight in a Dundalk handicap last time out but has good previous form aside from that. 

Red Scarlet was third in a Leopardstown maiden a fortnight ago and gave the impression more was on offer so she is the selection in race three (4.25) ahead of the re-opposing Berto Ramirez, who was second in that Leopardstown contest.

Race four (5.00) can go the way of The Marty Party for trainer Joseph O’Brien, second on his last spin at Killarney on August 28 who can go one place better here with improvement expected. 

A field of 13 will take on race five on the card (5.30) in division two of the same discipline as race four. Runninsonofagun is turned out quickly here having comfortably scored in an eight-runner maiden at Navan eight days ago and sets the bar here on handicap debut for trainer Emmet Mullins.

llenwood is the chief threat for aforementioned trainer Davidson, third of 13 in a Sligo nursery last time out and steps up to a more suitable seven furlong trip at Down Royal. 

Race six is the feature on the card at 6.05 as 13 runners head to the stalls for the Ulster Cesarewitch Handicap for horses rated between 50 and 80. Slight preference heads the way of Barnacullia, fifth at Bellewstown last time out which was a step back in the right direction and is just 2lb higher in the weights than when he won at Leopardstown last summer.

The Tom O’Brien-trained Zoffanien should be there or thereabouts after solid outings at Killarney and Galway in recent weeks while Belgoprince should be up there too, a good third of ten in a Wexford handicap hurdle when last seen.

Ten runners will tackle the penultimate race on Down Royal’s card in the one mile and two furlong apprentice handicap (6.40) where previous course winner Explorer’s Way gets the nod for trainer Patrick Martin, while the finale (7.10) can go the way of Albion Princess, trained by Donal Kinsella, a good third of 14 in a Dundalk handicap last time out. 

Down Royal selections – Friday

3.15 – Lightning Bear

3.50 – Betsen

4.25 – Red Scarlet

5.00 – The Marty Party

5.30 – Runninsonofagun

6.05 – Barnacullia

6.40 – Explorer’s Way

7.10 – Albion Princess.