Down Royal stages a quality seven-race card on Friday, day one of its two-day Festival Of Racing fixture, the highlight being the Grade 1 Remembering Envoi Allen Champion Chase on Saturday.
Friday’s meeting is strong in its own right and includes a Grade 3 Mares’ Novice Hurdle and a Listed hurdle, both run over 2m1f, while 20 runners have been declared for a staying handicap hurdle.
Friday's Down Royal Lucky 15 tips
13:00 Down Royal - With Nolimit @ 2/7
14:00 Down Royal - Ash Hobbs @ 2/1
14:35 Down Royal - Mange Tout @ 11/8
16:20 Down Royal – Premier Division @ 4/5
13:00 Down Royal - With Nolimit @ 2/7
Rider | Jack Kennedy |
Trainer | Gordon Elliott |
Owner | Gigginstown House Stud |
Age | 5 |
Overall Form | 1/4129-1 |
This opening maiden hurdle has been farmed by Gordon Elliott in recent seasons, so all three of the trainer's runners warrant respect.
However, With Nolimit showed bumper form of the highest calibre last season and is already towards the head of the betting for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March.
The five-year-old was last seen winning a Grade 1 at the Punchestown Festival in the spring, showing a good attitude to turn the tables on Champion Bumper winner The Mourne Rambler at odds of 14/1.
He’d only finished ninth at Cheltenham, but had shown a high level of form beforehand, including a short-head defeat in a Grade 2 behind his stablemate Broadway Ted at the Dublin Racing Festival in February.
Stats
- With Nolimit won a Grade 1 bumper at the Punchestown Festival on his last start
- He ran the highest Racing Post Rating of any bumper horse in Britain and Ireland last season (134)
- Gordon Elliott has won eight of the last 10 runnings of this race
14:00 Down Royal - Ash Hobbs @ 2/1
Rider | Darragh O’Keeffe |
Trainer | Henry De Bromhead |
Owner | Robcour |
Age | 5 |
Overall Form | 1/54-1 |
This is competitive with seven of the eight runners separated by 6lb or less, according to the ratings.
Henry de Bromhead’s Ash Hobbs has yet to be given a mark, but he may well prove the best of these judged on a slick hurdling debut success at Fairyhouse at the start of this month.
The selection by no means set the world alight in bumpers, indeed he was beaten upwards of 27 lengths on both his outings in that sphere.
However, he had impressed when winning his sole point start in March last year and seemed to relish jumping hurdles, travelling strongly and pulling readily clear of the useful Red Acres Georgie, and a distance clear of third.
That was his first run since March and he’s entitled to have come on a good bit from a fitness perspective.
Stats
- Ash Hobbs ran to a Racing Post Rating of 118 when winning on his hurdling debut, leaving him with little to find with his rivals
- Henry de Bromhead has a 24% strike-rate with his runners at Down Royal over the past five years
- The trainer has won two of the last four runnings of this race, including 12 months ago with 9/1 chance Full Of Life
14:35 Down Royal - Mange Tout @ 11/8
Rider | Jack Kennedy |
Trainer | Gordon Elliott |
Owner | Robcour |
Age | 4 |
Overall Form | 11131- |
Mange Tout proved herself among the leading four-year-old hurdlers last season, ending the campaign with a gutsy success in the Grade 1 Anniversary Hurdle at Aintree in April.
Gordon Elliott has a strong hand in the race with El Cairos, once described by Jack Kennedy as the fastest hurdler he’d ever ridden, accompanying the selection alongside the unexposed Generous Risk.
However, Kennedy’s decision to ride the filly looks significant and I’m expecting her to continue the tremendous record of four-year-olds in the race.
Stats
- Mange Tout won a Grade 1 at Aintree on her last start
- Four-year-olds have won each of the last five renewals of this race when they have been represented
- Mange Tout is the only horse of that age in Friday’s race
- Gordon Elliott has won six of the last seven renewals, with Jack Kennedy partnering four of his last five winners of the race
16:20 Down Royal – Premier Division @ 4/5
Rider | Mr Harry Swann |
Trainer | Gordon Elliott |
Owner | Edelle Logan |
Age | 3 |
Overall Form | 33-2 |
The day can end as it began for Gordon Elliott with Premier Division expected to gain a deserved first success.
The five-year-old has shown strong form in all three of his bumper starts so far, improving steadily with each outing, as highlighted by his Racing Post Ratings of 112, 117 and 119.
An excellent third behind subsequent Grade 1 Cheltenham Festival winner The Mourne Rambler at Leopardstown last Christmas, he found only Henry de Bromhead’s Largy Star too good in a 21-runner race at Punchestown in May, a reproduction of which would make him hard to beat in this.
Friday's Down Royal Lucky 15 tips
13:00 Down Royal - With Nolimit @ 2/7
14:00 Down Royal - Ash Hobbs @ 2/1
14:35 Down Royal - Mange Tout @ 11/8
16:20 Down Royal – Premier Division @ 4/5
Tipster’s Recent Winners
Marcus Buckland has enjoyed plenty of success over the last couple of weeks, his winners including Chattering Classes (20/1), Together Now (4/6) and Girls Allowed (11/10). He’s also had several places at double-figure prices.
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
