July 15 / 16.25 Downpatrick

16.25

Good

Plus 2 Print Remembering Tony Oakes MBE Maiden Hurdle

  • Prize money: £5130.43
  • 2m 5f 185y
  • 10 runners
RTV
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Plus 2 Print Remembering Tony Oakes MBE Maiden Hurdle

Runners: 10 runners

Type: Hurdle Turf

Surface: Turf

Weather: Showers

6/1 (Won)

  • Win: £4.50
  • Place: £1.30

Form: 2U-943

Last run: 29 days

W: 11st 4lb

6 yo Gelding

OR: 111

Form & Verdict
Runner-up in a Cork maiden in October and ran to a similar level in this new headgear combination here a month ago after finding some late interference; unlikely to be much between him and the runner-up Charlie's Dilemma.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

9th

4

20th Aug 2026

Good

2m 4f 180y

19:15 Killarney

Ollie La Ba Ba

11st 7lb

J: G B Noonan

T: Eoin Christopher McCarthy

Best of three chase runs was the first at Kilbeggan last year, when sixth of 13; beaten 24l at Clonmel in October off 1lb higher on handicap chase debut; two starts over hurdles since not too encouraging.

14/1

OUR TIP

6/4

  • Place: £1.10

Form: 2/132- C

Last run: 297 days

W: 11st 5lb

6 yo Mare

OR: —

Form & Verdict
Odds-on winner of a bumper here on good to yielding in June of last year and placed in both her maiden hurdles, latterly behind a strong favourite at Listowel (2m4f, yielding to soft); won't mind going a bit further this afternoon and has obvious claims.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

3rd

9

30th Sep 2026

Good

3m 1f 182y

16:05 Sligo

River Tara

11st 5lb

J: Brian Hayes

T: C A Murphy

Bumper winner; placed in three maiden hurdles for Willie Mullins; mid-division in Listowel mares' handicap hurdle on return but big eyecatcher on chase debut at Tramore in April, good headway to dispute lead and every chance when fell two out; not discounted.

7/1

9th

11

20th Sep 2026

Good

2m 2f 100y

15:18 Listowel

River Tara

10st 11lb

J: Brian Hayes

T: C A Murphy

Bumper winner; placed in three maiden hurdles for Willie Mullins; questions to answer; pulled up on both hurdle starts for this stable; fell in a chase on latest.

25/1

12

20th Apr 2026

Soft

2m 5f 160y

18:42 Tramore

River Tara

11st 5lb

J: Brian Hayes

T: C A Murphy

Bumper winner; placed in three maiden hurdles for Willie Mullins; questions to answer having been pulled up on both starts for this stable.

20/1

66/1

  • Place: £9.70

Form: 8

Last run: 52 days

W: 11st 4lb

5 yo Gelding

OR: —

Form & Verdict
Nothing to shout about in points and was well beaten in a maiden hurdle here in May.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

5

15th Jul 2025

Good

2m 5f 185y

15:18 Downpatrick

Western Ability

10st 13lb

J: Ben Harvey

T: D M Christie

0-5 over hurdles and rated 98; best efforts in maidens have come on good ground over this C&D but has a lot to find and produced another tame effort on handicap debut at Sligo on Sunday; others preferred.

25/1

10

13th Jul 2025

Good

3m 1f 146y

16:45 Sligo

Western Ability

11st 0lb

J: Ben Harvey

T: D M Christie

0-6 in points but has shown ability in a few of his starts under rules; however, was tailed off at Ballinrobe last time out and probably needs improvement to defy this mark; return to further will help at least.

12/1

7th

11

26th May 2025

Good

2m 6f 131y

17:00 Ballinrobe

Western Ability

11st 4lb

J: Darragh O’Keeffe

T: D M Christie

Placed in a 2m6f maiden hurdle on good ground at Downpatrick last July; no encouragement from his point-to-point form.

50/1

Form: 753-2

Last run: 29 days

W: 11st 4lb

5 yo Gelding

OR: —

Form & Verdict
Looks nicely progressive having returned from a break to finish close up in a C&D maiden on good ground a month ago when just ahead of Ollie La Ba Ba; won't be far away with something similar.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

2

7th Aug 2026

Good

3m 0f 0y

18:26 Wexford

Charlies Dilemma

11st 13lb

J: Michael Kenneally

T: John C McConnell

0-13 over hurdles but placed six times in maidens; no impact in initial handicap runs but fared better following the application of blinkers in his last two outings; 8l fourth at Limerick (2m7f, good) and 7.5l behind Set The Tone over C&D last time when keeping on well after getting squeezed for room at the third last; not ruled out.

6/1

5th

1

23rd Jul 2026

Good

3m 0f 0y

17:45 Wexford

Charlies Dilemma

12st 0lb

J: Kevin Healy

T: John C McConnell

0-12 over hurdles but placed six times in maidens and made no impact on initial handicap runs but fared better when beaten 8l into fourth at Limerick lto; claims of same mark with step up in trip likely to suit on evidence.

9/1

Form: —

Last run: —

W: 11st 4lb

5 yo Gelding

OR: —

Form & Verdict
Showed some ability before ultimately pulling up in his only point, for which he was just 3-1; may have a future.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

11th

5

1st Oct 2026

Good

2m 0f 166y

13:49 Clonmel

Vaureal

11st 7lb

J: Keith Donoghue

T: Ian Patrick Donoghue

Useful handicap chaser with winning form at up to 2m5f; back from a break and potentially well treated over hurdles (17lb lower than his chase mark); however, this trip is probably inadequate.

7/2

1st

11

7th Jun 2026

Good To Yielding

2m 4f 55y

14:32 Punchestown

Vaureal

10st 9lb

J: P J O’Hanlon

T: Ian Patrick Donoghue

Beaten a head by The Gradual Slope at Fairyhouse in April (2m5f, yielding to soft); creditable effort around the cross-country course at the Punchestown festival last time (3m1f, good to yielding); not ruled out.

6/1

5th

8

2nd May 2026

Good To Yielding

3m 0f 90y

14:30 Punchestown

Vaureal

11st 12lb

J: Keith Donoghue

T: Ian Patrick Donoghue

Off the mark chasing in 2m6f Fairyhouse handicap in November (yielding-to-soft) and better again when just denied over same C&D early this month on similar ground; in between wasn't discredited in strong renewal of PP Hogan Memorial over today's C&D (fifth to Vanillier); definite claims.

10/1

Form: 606

Last run: 7 days

W: 10st 11lb

6 yo Mare

OR: —

Form & Verdict
Placed in two points but has weak form claims on what she's shown under rules.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

6

21st Apr 2025

Yielding

3m 0f 100y

15:00 Cork

Nicolas Fortune

11st 11lb

J: Mr Alan O’Sullivan

T: K A Heffernan

0-8 in point-to-points and 0-6 under Rules in bumpers and hurdles; decent second on latest at Castletown-Geoghegan (3m, good) earlier this month; tongue-tie and cheekpieces go on; may need better ground.

8/1

6

21st Apr 2025

Yielding

3m 0f 100y

15:00 Cork

Nicolas Fortune

11st 11lb

J: Mr Alan O’Sullivan

T: K A Heffernan

0-8 in point-to-points and 0-6 under Rules in bumpers and hurdles; decent second on latest at Castletown-Geoghegan (3m, good) earlier this month; tongue-tie and cheekpieces go on; may need better ground.

8/1

9th

13

21st Aug 2024

Yielding

2m 4f 141y

18:40 Sligo

Nicolas Fortune

11st 2lb

J: Alex Harvey

T: K A Heffernan

Some ability in points and bumpers but well beaten in maiden hurdles; can do better now handicapping.

25/1

Form: 56-255

Last run: 34 days

W: 11st 4lb

9 yo Gelding

OR: 103

Form & Verdict
Good chances on flashes of his best form, including a second over fences this May; however, not so good since in either discipline and he's now 0-27 under rules.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

8

25th Aug 2025

Good

2m 1f 165y

17:28 Downpatrick

Look Dont Touch

10st 13lb

J: Ivan Ryan

T: Conor David Maxwell

Fourth of 20 over hurdles on his penultimate start before a lesser show here over 2m6f; didn't run well in his last handicap chase either so not hard to have some reservations.

12/1

6

15th Jul 2025

Good

2m 5f 185y

14:18 Downpatrick

Look Dont Touch

11st 3lb

J: Mr T J Stafford

T: Conor David Maxwell

Point-to-point winner yet to score under Rules; solid fourth at Punchestown (3m, gd-yld) on latest; nudged up 1lb for that and drops in trip; claims if he can back that up but that's not guaranteed.

11/4

Form: —

Last run: —

W: 11st 4lb

5 yo Gelding

OR: —

Form & Verdict
Insufficient promise in his two points to warrant a second glance in this maiden.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

8th

6

15th Jul 2024

Good

2m 5f 185y

16:25 Downpatrick

Imperial Fashion

11st 4lb

J: Kevin Sexton

T: E Sheehy

Insufficient promise in his two points to warrant a second glance in this maiden.

33/1

Form: 6241-0

Last run: 37 days

W: 11st 12lb

6 yo Gelding

OR: —

Form & Verdict
The ground was soft when coming clear in a Fairyhouse bumper but he goes on good and unlikely that he gave his true running when only 100-30 for last month's hurdling debut at Punchestown; better expected.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

5

5th Oct 2026

Good

3m 0f 0y

16:50 Fairyhouse

Midleton Rare

11st 8lb

J: Erin Dunseath

T: Noel C Kelly

Three wins for Ian Donoghue last season, including over 2m4f here and over 3m at Bellewstown; came from well back to be second at Galway, never involved at Navan last time.

10/1

10th

10

19th Sep 2026

Good

2m 5f 0y

16:35 Navan

Midleton Rare

11st 6lb

J: Erin Dunseath

T: Noel C Kelly

Three-time winner for Ian Donoghue; fine effort on second start for this stable when a 4.5l second of 19 at Galway; nudged up 3lb for that, this is a stronger race and has never won off a mark this high; career best required and would prefer easier ground.

15/2

2nd

3

7th Sep 2026

Good

2m 6f 97y

18:11 Galway

Midleton Rare

11st 13lb

J: Erin Dunseath

T: Noel C Kelly

Winner over 3m at Bellewstown in April; poor form since, although was wiped out by a faller on stable debut at Wexford last time.

33/1

Form: —

Last run: —

W: 11st 4lb

5 yo Gelding

OR: —

Form & Verdict
Half-brother to bumper winner Paddy The Wire; dam failed to complete in points, sister to useful bumper/2m hurdle/3m chase winner Augherskea and 2m5f chase winner Castletown; likely best watched.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

10th

5

15th Jul 2024

Good

2m 5f 185y

16:25 Downpatrick

Dersalwayssometin

11st 4lb

J: Kieren Buckley

T: Ian Patrick Donoghue

Half-brother to bumper winner Paddy The Wire; dam failed to complete in points, sister to useful bumper/2m hurdle/3m chase winner Augherskea and 2m5f chase winner Castletown; likely best watched.

33/1

Non-runners

Beaufort Scale

+o+e Accumulators

Payout
Exacta €9.50
Straight Forecast €8.73
Trifecta €270.90

Selections

SPOTLIGHT:

River Tara

RP RATINGS (IRE):

Beaufort Scale

POSTDATA:

Charlie's Dilemma

The Irish Sun:

River Tara