Kilbeggan Races Summer Saturday Festival
Summer jumping action continues at Kilbeggan Racecourse on Saturday with a seven-race offering for punters heading to the popular Westmeath venue.
The evening features the John 'Chucky' Dunne Memorial Handicap Chase, worth €15,000 to the winner, and that goes to post at 8pm with eight runners in a wide-open field.
The card gets underway at 5.27pm with a nine runner maiden hurdle over the two mile trip, before coming to a close three hours later at 8.30pm with a bumper, once again over the two mile distance.
The opening contest of the evening sees a field of nine take on the two mile maiden hurdle (5.27). Astelia has shown consistent form with consecutive second place finishes in this sphere and looks very much ready to go one better this weekend, having finished a creditable sixth in a Galway Festival handicap nine days ago for the Peter Fahey team. Faithful Follower was looking set for a good second spot last time before falling at the last but is still one to consider in this company.
Race two of the day (6pm) is a 16-runner handicap hurdle and Half Past Tipsy looks the way to go for the Gavin Cromwell team, a good third last time out at this track on July 25 and is dropping down ever so slightly in trip which could work well in her favour.
Race three (6.30pm) sees Eclipse Chaser get the nod for the high-powered Paul Townend and Willie Mullins combination, who has yet to really set fire in two runs so far but in calmer waters here may well have too much for the opposition from their prominent yard.
A small field of five will head to the start for the three mile and one furlong memorial hurdle to mark the fourth race of the evening at Kilbeggan (7pm) and preference here heads the way of Reverend Hubert for trainer Charles Byrnes, who won this race last year with Run For Oscar. The trainer’s charge this year was a decent second at Cork two starts back before finding things a bit too hot to handle in the Listed BoyleSports Handicap Hurdle at Galway Festival last week when stepping up markedly in class.
Race five of the evening at Kilbeggan (7.30pm) is an eight-runner handicap chase over the three mile trip. The Enda Bolger-trained Pride of Place was a winner of a Tipperary chase and unseated his rider last time out at Wexford but remains with potential in this sphere so a clear round should see him back at the right end again.
The penultimate contest of the day (8pm) can go the way of recent course winner A Wave Of The Sea, who is still well-treated on old form and is 8lb higher in the wrights now than he was when winning here 15 days ago but that might not be enough to prevent him scoring again. Best of the rest is Slane Hill for trainer Barry Connell, a solid fourth over hurdles at this course in May and followed that up with another fourth at Roscommon last time out.
Finally, the card comes to a close at 8.30pm as a field of nine take on the two-mile bumper. Preference in the finale heads the way of Moja Dama, trained by Willie Mullins, who is always hard to ignore in card-closing bumpers and this filly is a half sister to French winner Rainbow Warrior so makes clear appeal on debut for the powerful Closutton yard.
Enjoy an evening of racing, live music, great food and drink at one of Ireland's most scenic racecourses.
*Preview of the Kilbeggan card on Saturday courtesy of Betano, who offer the latest horse racing betting.