Down Royal Racecourse: Preview and Tips for Friday’s Seven-Race Card
Racing returns to Down Royal Racecourse on Friday for a seven-race National Hunt meeting, featuring a Listed hurdle and the Grade Three Feathard Lady Mares Novice Hurdle, alongside five other races for day one of the BetVictor Festival Of Racing meeting.
Read on for a full preview of and tips for the Down Royal card on Friday courtesy of BetVictor Online Casinos.
We begin with a two and three quarter mile maiden hurdle (1.02). Both Henry de Bromhead’s Some Song and Gordon Elliott’s Kazansky are winning point-to-point graduates, so make some appeal under Rules now, while the latter trainer’s first string Theflyingking is a bumper winner from last term who looks likely to be the main fancy for this race.
Next is a three mile handicap hurdle (1.32). With a full-sized field of 20 runners, this will be a tough race to judge, but the likes of Aengus King’s Fill The Tank could have a chance on the ground conditions and is given a handy seven pounds by rider Cian Cullinan. Noel Kelly’s True Destiny should be able to run a good race too, also given seven pounds by his rider, and will like a bit of extra cut in the ground.
The feature race is next; the Grade Three Feathard Lady mares novice hurdle, run over two miles and a furlong (2.02). With plenty of winners and nice quality horses making up the field, this isn’t an easy race to deliberate over.
Carrigmoornaspruce, Korinthia and Blue Waters all won their most recent starts, with graded bumper winner Corrigmoornaspruce looking the most likely to follow up today. Oh Janey might outrun her odds though and pick up a place.
Race four is the Listed hurdle, run over two miles and a furlong (2.37). Gordon Elliott’s second string Casheldale Lad was last seen winning at Listed level in September, so will be competitive here.
However, it may be outclassed by stablemate The Yellow Clay, who is rated 10 pounds above him, having won at Grade One level last term and only just beaten at the Cheltenham Festival. He should be able to make light work of this, despite some good opponents being in the mix.
Following is an extended two-mile handicap chase (3.12). Gordon Elliott’s Someone’s Wish and Phil Dempsey’s Seskin Flash both won their first starts of the new season, with the former probably most likely to do so again.
And Gavin Cromwell’s Money Heist – who can go well fresh – could prove to be dangerous. He represents a stable in good order and is given eight pounds by his rider.
Second to last is a two and a half mile beginners chase (3.47). The Gordon Elliott-trained Romeo Coolio was a class individual over hurdles, winning at Grade One level and placing at the Cheltenham Festival, so ought to be the winner if translating that ability over the larger obstacles.
He steps up in trip for this chase debut, though, which leaves a touch of uncertainty and he might be vulnerable to Koktail Divin, who is a winner over this distance and has form at Grade One level too.
The final race is a bumper (4.20). We have just five runners here, with Skerry Hill and Hopeful Hero being the youngest of the quintet at four years old.
The former is a point-to-point winner, while the latter is well-exposed in bumpers, having placed on three occasions. Tony Martin’s Chichester Park steps back into a bumper having been tried over hurdles, and could be in contention.
The potential offered by Skerry Hill, however, is hard to look past, especially given the trainer’s strong rate of success in this class of race.
