June 09 / 17.08 Roscommon

17.08

Good

Castlerea Novice Chase

  • Prize money: £6095.04
  • 2m 0f 35y
  • 7 runners
RTV
View Course
Castlerea Novice Chase

Runners: 7 runners

Type: Chase Turf

Surface: Turf

Weather: Cloudy

Form: 13307-

Last run: 107 days

W: 11st 2lb

6 yo Gelding

OR:

Form & Verdict
Back to back wins over hurdles on good ground at Punchestown (19.5f) and Galway (20.5f) last summer; lost form since and switches to fences on return from a break; best watched over this sharp a trip.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

5th

1

24th Aug 2026

Good

2m 7f 73y

19:30 Ballinrobe

Donnie Devito

11st 12lb

J: Danny Gilligan

T: Ross O’Sullivan

Dual winner over hurdles has plenty of chasing experience; after seven months off, nice return to action when third at Wexford; bad mistake early on and nearly lost rider when 11-1 for Galway Blazers, doing well in the circumstances to finish seventh and that race is working out well.

5/1

7th

15

31st Jul 2026

Good

2m 6f 111y

18:00 Galway

Donnie Devito

10st 9lb

J: Shane Markey

T: Ross O’Sullivan

2-7 over hurdles; 0-6 over fences but has run well in defeat, including when a close third behind Intense Approach in a C&D beginners' here last year; weighted to reverse that form and shaped promisingly in prep run after 218 days off at Wexford; could be on a nice mark for first handicap chase.

9/1

3rd

3

3rd Jul 2026

Good

2m 3f 110y

18:52 Wexford

Donnie Devito

11st 12lb

J: Danny Gilligan

T: Ross O’Sullivan

Dual hurdles winner last year at about 2m4f; good bit of chasing experience, notably third in 2m6f Galway beginners' last summer and second in 3m Clonmel novice; fourth in this race last year.

11/2

Form: 9/PP2- D

Last run: 57 days

W: 11st 2lb

7 yo Gelding

OR:

Form & Verdict
Lost his way after showing a good level of ability over hurdles in 2023; his second last time was a remote one behind Pied Piper; chance if building on that but that's far from guaranteed given his overall profile.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

16th

5

4th Jul 2026

Good

2m 1f 40y

18:18 Bellewstown

Encanto Bruno

11st 9lb

J: Dylan Kidd

T: John C McConnell

Former smart bumper horse; career went downhill after C&D maiden hurdle win in 2023; soundly beaten over a longer trip than this at Kilbeggan last month.

20/1

6th

1

15th Jun 2026

Yielding To Soft

3m 0f 100y

19:42 Kilbeggan

Encanto Bruno

11st 12lb

J: Dylan Kidd

T: John C McConnell

Losing run stretches back to 2023 and two runs since coming back to this yard have not suggested that a return to winning ways is imminent; beaten 9.25l when third in four runner race at Clonmel latest; others preferred.

12/1

3rd

1

5th Jun 2026

Good

2m 3f 61y

19:20 Clonmel

Encanto Bruno

11st 6lb

J: Dylan Kidd

T: John C McConnell

Career peak came in 2023 when winning a novice hurdle at Cheltenham October meeting on first run for Gavin Cromwell; well beaten when runner-up over fences in April and June last year; returned to John McConnell, with whom he started his career, last time at Musselburgh back over hurdles but was disappointing; hard to fancy on current form.

8/1

OUR TIP

Form: 4P0-52 D

Last run: 14 days

W: 11st 2lb

6 yo Gelding

OR:

Form & Verdict
114-rated hurdler; improved on second chase start at Ballinrobe (2m1f, good) last month when chasing home Westport Cove; has placed here over hurdles; needs more to win but has a place chance.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

7th

10

2nd Aug 2026

Good

2m 2f 54y

15:30 Galway

Itsalladream

10st 0lb

J: Phillip Enright

T: Paul John Gilligan

Course maiden hurdle winner was over-faced several times over fences after winning a Roscommon novice which fell apart last summer; has the beating of Blood Destiny on Listowel running two runs back, and little wrong with his 6l fourth to Lisleigh Lad on handicap debut at Wexford, where he didn't quite see it out over a furlong farther.

12/1

4th

6

3rd Jul 2026

Good

2m 3f 110y

19:25 Wexford

Itsalladream

10st 8lb

J: Gavin Brouder

T: Paul John Gilligan

Highly tried and has cut little ice, including thrice at Grade 3 level, since winning a 2m novice at Roscommon last summer; appeared to run well behind much higher-rated rivals in conditions contest at Listowel last time, but marksman left him alone; capable of being competitive in first handicap.

10/1

5th

3

1st Jun 2026

Yielding

2m 3f 0y

16:07 Listowel

Itsalladream

11st 6lb

J: Jack G Gilligan

T: Paul John Gilligan

Has won a maiden hurdle and a novice chase; has looked a bit outclassed in Grade 3s in his last three races and a similar scenario seems likely in this company (well behind Jesse Evans last time).

50/1

Form: 35156- D

Last run: 38 days

W: 11st 2lb

5 yo Gelding

OR:

Form & Verdict
Sole win over hurdles in February in a Punchestown maiden on testing ground; not disgraced in Fairyhouse Grade 2 Novice hurdle in April (2m, yielding) but disappointed on latest; dam a half-sister to Sceau Royal so could improve for switch to fences; good ground is an unknown.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

2nd

3

24th Aug 2026

Good

2m 1f 55y

19:00 Ballinrobe

Runcok

11st 7lb

J: J J Slevin

T: John C McConnell

Winner over hurdles and fences in these colours when with Willie Mullins; poor last of four in last year's renewal; yet to convince with his jumping (can go left), and again made a couple of errors when beaten 20l in Galway handicap on second start for yard.

5/1

6th

3

2nd Aug 2026

Good

2m 2f 54y

15:30 Galway

Runcok

10st 9lb

J: J J Slevin

T: John C McConnell

Winner over hurdles and fences in these colours when with Willie Mullins; last three runs have been poor, including stable debut hurdling; hood back on but yet to convince with his jumping (can go left); handicap debut.

20/1

6th

2

25th May 2026

Good

2m 2f 72y

16:30 Ballinrobe

Runcok

11st 8lb

J: Alex Harvey

T: John C McConnell

Winning hurdler and chaser; rated 133 over timber; soundly beaten in chases at Galway and here when last seen last summer; has since left Willie Mullins; lacks a run and owners' retained rider JJ Slevin prefers Blizzard Of Oz.

12/1

Form: 5P10-3 D

Last run: 18 days

W: 11st 0lb

8 yo Mare

OR: 125

Form & Verdict
Rated 125; 1-8 over fences, the win coming at Tramore in a mares' beginners in March (2m2f, gd-yld); placed in a Grade 3 novice chase over C&D last September; not beaten far in 2m4f Limerick mares' chase latest; this shorter trip more suitable and she holds leading claims.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

8th

3

8th Aug 2026

Good

2m 4f 40y

19:48 Kilbeggan

A Law Of Her Own

11st 5lb

J: Donagh Meyler

T: Emmet Mullins

Useful five-time winner for Peter Fahey; changed hands for E25,000 in November but unseated at the first on stable debut at Galway eight days ago; tongue-tie and cheekpieces left off now; enjoys nice ground and definite claims.

13/2

13

31st Jul 2026

Good

2m 6f 111y

18:00 Galway

A Law Of Her Own

10st 9lb

J: Alan O’Sullivan

T: Emmet Mullins

Signed off for Peter Fahey with an emphatic win over hurdles at Punchestown (16.5f, gd-yld) in October; bought for E25,000 in November and this course winner is worth a market check on debut for shrewd yard with a tongue tie and cheekpieces applied.

9/1

1

15th Oct 2025

Good

2m 0f 95y

14:30 Punchestown

A Law Of Her Own

11st 12lb

J: Sam Ewing

T: Peter Fahey

Won a mares' chase at Thurles (2m2f, good to yielding) in March; nothing in three subsequent starts over fences but ran a good race in the Galway Tribes back over hurdles in August; ultimately finished tailed off when stepped up in trip at Listowel last time (2m4f, good to yielding); drops another 1lb now.

12/1

Form: /459-1 D

Last run: 29 days

W: 11st 0lb

7 yo Filly

OR: 132

Form & Verdict
Top rated at 132; off the mark at the fourth attempt over fences in a mares' beginners' chase at Killarney (2m5f, yielding) last month; drops markedly in trip here but has smart form at around this distance over hurdles; well-treated by race conditions; obvious chance.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

4th

6

16th Jul 2026

Good

2m 4f 85y

17:05 Killarney

Birdie Or Bust

10st 7lb

J: Harry Cobden

T: Henry De Bromhead

2-7 over hurdles and some smart form in the book; better known as a chaser these days, but has been out of sorts in that sphere on recent starts; third at Punchestown on latest, but was still beaten over 9l; needs to revive on first run over timber since March 2024.

100/30

3rd

2

6th Jun 2026

Good To Yielding

2m 0f 50y

13:50 Punchestown

Birdie Or Bust

11st 11lb

J: Mike O’Connor

T: Henry De Bromhead

2-11 over fences; rated 13lb higher over hurdles; ran well when second in Grade 3 novice here in October (War Correspondent third); has disappointed at Fairyhouse and when pulled up over C&D since returning from a break; needs to leave those efforts behind.

16/1

12

30th Apr 2026

Yielding

2m 0f 75y

16:50 Punchestown

Birdie Or Bust

11st 4lb

J: Harry Cobden

T: Henry De Bromhead

Very useful hurdler, two wins and third in 2024 Cheltenham Mares' Novices Hurdle; took a while to find her form over fences but won at Killarney and Listowel last year; second in Grade 3 novice here in October; never counted at Fairyhouse after a break.

16/1

Form: 44/P-5 D

Last run: 13 days

W: 10st 9lb

10 yo Mare

OR:

Form & Verdict
Two-time winner over timber, including at Listed level, back in 2022; hasn't shown enough in two starts since return from mammoth layoff; others appeal more.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

4

13th Jul 2025

Good

2m 1f 90y

15:00 Sligo

She Is Electric

11st 8lb

J: J J Slevin

T: Norman Lee

Two-time winner over hurdles, including at Listed level, back in 2022; hasn't shown anything in three starts since return from a mammoth layoff; passed over.

28/1

7

9th Jun 2025

Good

2m 0f 35y

17:08 Roscommon

She Is Electric

10st 9lb

J: Kevin Sexton

T: Norman Lee

Two-time winner over timber, including at Listed level, back in 2022; hasn't shown enough in two starts since return from mammoth layoff; others appeal more.

33/1

Selections

RP RATINGS (IRE):

Birdie Or Bust

SPOTLIGHT:

A Law Of Her Own

POSTDATA:

Birdie Or Bust

The Irish Sun:

Birdie Or Bust

TOPSPEED:

A Law Of Her Own