A preview and tips for Friday’s seven-race card at Downpatrick racecourse
Downpatrick Racecourse hosts its end of season raceday on Friday with a seven-race offering for punters heading to the track.
Racing gets underway at 2.15pm with a ten-runner maiden hurdle before rounding off at 5.35pm with the season-closing 0-95 rated handicap.
Read below to discover the latest tips and a full meeting preview from Downpatrick’s season finale courtesy of BoyleSports, who offer the very latest Irish horse racing betting.
The opening contest on the card sees a field of ten head to the start for the two-mile and a furlong maiden hurdle (2.15).
Trainer Cian Collins has a strong hand here in the shape of Impero, running for just the second time for his new yard and his first was a good second over hurdles like time out at Listowel so is taken to go one better here.
Of his rivals, In The Trenches rates as the main danger, a beaten favourite on five of his seven starts for the Gavin Cromwell team but has never finished lower than third so still rates as having a big chance.
Race two of the afternoon (2.50) is another two-mile and a furlong contest, this time a novice handicap hurdle and a small field of six will tackle it.
The powerful duo of trainer Willie Mullins and jockey Paul Townend team up on Hey Sunshine, a winner of a Kilbeggan maiden hurdle 35 days ago and further improvement is expected from this very promising type.
Eight horses will line up at the start for race three on Downpatrick’s card at 3.20 to tackle the 80-102 rated handicap hurdle.
Portnacoo, trained by Harry Smyth, arrives to the track on an upward curve having scored twice in succession at Downpatrick on his last two starts – though has to shoulder a big hike in the weights here in his hat-trick bid but that might be unlikely to stop him from following up again.
Sandyman is feared most here for John McConnell, fifth last time out left the impression he has a lot more to give.
Mullins and Townend could complete a quick double on the card in race four of the afternoon (3.55) with Marie’s March, a debut fifth at Kilbeggan that is stepping up in trip here and is taken to get the better of a runner from another top yard, that of Gordon Elliott, with Prends Garde A Toi, fourth in a bumper at Leopardstown that makes his hurdles debut after a whopping nine-month absence.
There’s plenty in with a chance in the fifth race on Downpatrick’s card – an 80-95 rated hurdle at 4.30 – but it could be worth siding with Mrs Biddle for trainer Garrett Power, a good third at Tramore 23 days ago ahead of Bishbashbosh, who should improve now pitched into handicaps and Fassbender, a previous course and distance winner but hasn’t tasted success since 2022.
The penultimate race on the card is up next at 5.05 and is a beginners chase over the two mile and three furlong trip. Of the ten runner field, Hardy Diamond looks to be the one to side with from the Gordon Elliott yard, a winner over hurdles and a decent enough seventh in a Gowran Park handicap last week so should take well to heading over the bigger obstacles.
Finally, the card and the summer jumps season at Downpatrick comes to an end with a nine-runner handicap chase for horses rated between zero and 95 (5.35), with preference in the finale heading the way of Edgewell for the Rebecca Menzies team, who has shaped well in british handicaps and seems to be the one to take to chasing with cheekpieces fitted.
Downpatrick selections – Friday 11th October 20 10 24
2.15 – Impero
2.50 – Hey Sunshine
3.20 – Portnacoo
3.55 – Marie’s March
4.30 – Mrs Biddle
5.05 – Hardy Diamond
5.35 – Edgewell.
