ITBA Mares Maiden Hurdle

2nd

7

Mercurial Sea

J: Paddy Cleary

T: Nigel Thomas Slevin

10/1

Place: £1.80

Form: P86-28

Last run: 53 days

W: 11st 7lb

5 yo Filly

OR: 88

Form & Verdict

0-8 over hurdles but has ability and was a good second in a mares' maiden hurdle over C&D (good) on penultimate; not as good upped to 2m6f on latest; the drop back in trip is a plus here but rated 88 so probably place claims at best.

Place / No / Draw	Date / Going / Distance / Class	Time + Course Horse + Weight Jockey / Trainer	Verdict	Starting price
8th 2	14th Aug 2026 Good 2m 5f 180y	17:40 Tramore Mercurial Sea 11st 10lb J: Carl Millar T: Nigel Thomas Slevin	Has run well in defeat on occasion over hurdles, including on latest at Downpatrick in a 2m2f mares' maiden; now makes chase debut with stamina to prove for this trip.	8/1
2nd 7	14th Jul 2026 Good 2m 1f 165y	14:07 Downpatrick Mercurial Sea 11st 7lb J: Paddy Cleary T: Nigel Thomas Slevin	0-8 over hurdles but has ability and was a good second in a mares' maiden hurdle over C&D (good) on penultimate; not as good upped to 2m6f on latest; the drop back in trip is a plus here but rated 88 so probably place claims at best.	10/1

Place /
No / Draw

Date / Going /
Distance / Class

Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer

Verdict

Starting price

8th

2

14th Aug 2026

Good

2m 5f 180y

17:40 Tramore

Mercurial Sea

11st 10lb

J: Carl Millar

T: Nigel Thomas Slevin

Has run well in defeat on occasion over hurdles, including on latest at Downpatrick in a 2m2f mares' maiden; now makes chase debut with stamina to prove for this trip.

8/1

2nd

7

14th Jul 2026

Good

2m 1f 165y

14:07 Downpatrick

Mercurial Sea

11st 7lb

J: Paddy Cleary

T: Nigel Thomas Slevin

0-8 over hurdles but has ability and was a good second in a mares' maiden hurdle over C&D (good) on penultimate; not as good upped to 2m6f on latest; the drop back in trip is a plus here but rated 88 so probably place claims at best.

10/1

OUR TIP

4th

1

Bayonetta

J: Kevin Healy

T: Gerald Stephen Quinn

4/1

Form: 33-422

Last run: 12 days

W: 11st 7lb

8 yo Mare

OR: 95

Form & Verdict

Point-to-point winner; 0-14 over hurdles but loads of placed efforts to her name, including off 92 in a C&D handicap on penultimate; should go well but rated 95 and likely vulnerable to less exposed rivals; new headgear combination tried.

Place / No / Draw	Date / Going / Distance / Class	Time + Course Horse + Weight Jockey / Trainer	Verdict	Starting price
7	28th Aug 2026 Good To Firm 3m 0f 0y	19:22 Down Royal Bayonetta 11st 8lb J: J J Slevin T: Gerald Stephen Quinn	Long-standing maiden has been running well over shorter trips this summer; closely matched with Jonny Carrol on Wexford 2m4f form three weeks ago, and went close over 3m a couple of years ago; new headgear combination	12/1
3rd 4	7th Aug 2026 Good 2m 4f 55y	19:01 Wexford Bayonetta 11st 8lb J: Keith Donoghue T: Gerald Stephen Quinn	Straight into handicap hurdles after a short spell in points; runner-up over this trip in a class 5 at Perth being her best effort; might have had a little too much use made of her at Downpatrick last time; headgear used that day left on here.	11/2
4th 1	14th Jul 2026 Good 2m 1f 165y	14:07 Downpatrick Bayonetta 11st 7lb J: Kevin Healy T: Gerald Stephen Quinn	Point-to-point winner; 0-14 over hurdles but loads of placed efforts to her name, including off 92 in a C&D handicap on penultimate; should go well but rated 95 and likely vulnerable to less exposed rivals; new headgear combination tried.	4/1

Place /
No / Draw

Date / Going /
Distance / Class

Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer

Verdict

Starting price

7

28th Aug 2026

Good To Firm

3m 0f 0y

19:22 Down Royal

Bayonetta

11st 8lb

J: J J Slevin

T: Gerald Stephen Quinn

Long-standing maiden has been running well over shorter trips this summer; closely matched with Jonny Carrol on Wexford 2m4f form three weeks ago, and went close over 3m a couple of years ago; new headgear combination

12/1

3rd

4

7th Aug 2026

Good

2m 4f 55y

19:01 Wexford

Bayonetta

11st 8lb

J: Keith Donoghue

T: Gerald Stephen Quinn

Straight into handicap hurdles after a short spell in points; runner-up over this trip in a class 5 at Perth being her best effort; might have had a little too much use made of her at Downpatrick last time; headgear used that day left on here.

11/2

4th

1

14th Jul 2026

Good

2m 1f 165y

14:07 Downpatrick

Bayonetta

11st 7lb

J: Kevin Healy

T: Gerald Stephen Quinn

Point-to-point winner; 0-14 over hurdles but loads of placed efforts to her name, including off 92 in a C&D handicap on penultimate; should go well but rated 95 and likely vulnerable to less exposed rivals; new headgear combination tried.

4/1

7th

12

Ritz Plan

J: J J Slevin

T: S R B Crawford

3/1

Form: 242-4

Last run: 36 days

W: 11st 3lb

4 yo Filly

OR: 104

Form & Verdict

4yo; promise in academy hurdles in the winter on testing ground; modest fourth in 4yo maiden at Roscommon (2m, yld-sft) on return from break last month, earning a rating of 104; half-sister to two good ground winners so could improve for this surface and leading chance.

Place / No / Draw	Date / Going / Distance / Class	Time + Course Horse + Weight Jockey / Trainer	Verdict	Starting price
7th 12	14th Jul 2026 Good 2m 1f 165y	14:07 Downpatrick Ritz Plan 11st 3lb J: J J Slevin T: S R B Crawford	4yo; promise in academy hurdles in the winter on testing ground; modest fourth in 4yo maiden at Roscommon (2m, yld-sft) on return from break last month, earning a rating of 104; half-sister to two good ground winners so could improve for this surface and leading chance.	3/1
4th 13	8th Jun 2026 Yielding To Soft 2m 0f 0y	16:43 Roscommon Ritz Plan 11st 0lb J: P J O’Hanlon T: S R B Crawford	Promise in all three starts in academy hurdles on testing ground for Joesph O'Brien; off since 2.25l second at Naas in December (2m1f, sft-hvy); could go well on first run for new yard.	100/30

Place /
No / Draw

Date / Going /
Distance / Class

Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer

Verdict

Starting price

7th

12

14th Jul 2026

Good

2m 1f 165y

11st 3lb

4yo; promise in academy hurdles in the winter on testing ground; modest fourth in 4yo maiden at Roscommon (2m, yld-sft) on return from break last month, earning a rating of 104; half-sister to two good ground winners so could improve for this surface and leading chance.

3/1

4th

13

8th Jun 2026

Yielding To Soft

2m 0f 0y

11st 0lb

Promise in all three starts in academy hurdles on testing ground for Joesph O'Brien; off since 2.25l second at Naas in December (2m1f, sft-hvy); could go well on first run for new yard.

100/30

10th

10

Three Leaf Clover

J: Alix Balfe

T: Dermot A McLoughlin

66/1

Form: 000-

Last run: 119 days

W: 11st 7lb

5 yo Filly

OR: —

Form & Verdict

No sign of winning potential in three maiden runs at 2m-17.5f; tongue tie now goes on; seems safe to rule out on return from 119 days off.

Place / No / Draw	Date / Going / Distance / Class	Time + Course Horse + Weight Jockey / Trainer	Verdict	Starting price
10th 10	14th Jul 2026 Good 2m 1f 165y	14:07 Downpatrick Three Leaf Clover 11st 7lb J: Alix Balfe T: Dermot A McLoughlin	No sign of winning potential in three maiden runs at 2m-17.5f; tongue tie now goes on; seems safe to rule out on return from 119 days off.	66/1
16th 18	17th Mar 2026 Yielding 2m 1f 105y	13:18 Down Royal Three Leaf Clover 10st 11lb J: Alix Balfe T: Dermot A McLoughlin	Tailed off in her first two races; can be safely discounted.	100/1
10th 16	15th Jan 2026 Soft 2m 0f 0y	13:33 Fairyhouse Three Leaf Clover 10st 11lb J: Niall Moore T: Dermot A McLoughlin	Dam a three-time hurdles winner but jumping issues evident when detached at Navan on debut (sent off 150-1); others preferred.	125/1

Place /
No / Draw

Date / Going /
Distance / Class

Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer

Verdict

Starting price

10th

10

14th Jul 2026

Good

2m 1f 165y

14:07 Downpatrick

Three Leaf Clover