Sunday Irish Racing Tips: Mark Milligan fancies three at Downpatrick

Mark Milligan
06 August 2022
4:00 min read

Mark MIlligan fanices a trio of hurdlers on Sunday

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Mark Milligan has taken a look at Sunday's Downpatrick card over the jumps, where he has a trio of selections...

"She's a much-improved model now from the last time she was seen over the smaller obstacles and the conditions of this race tilt things strongly in her favour"

It's pretty low-key stuff over the jumps at Downpatrick on Sunday, though there are a few interesting runners for us to side with, the first of them in the maiden hurdle that opens the card at 14:30.

Bella Bliss gained plenty of racing experience in bumpers before making her hurdling debut over this C&D in June, where she shaped really well in third. The form of that race was franked when the winner followed up next time.

Kept to the same C&D for her most recent start last month, she'd just moved into the lead before making a shuddering mistake at the last, an error that completely ruined her chances, eventually consigning her to fourth place.

I'm of the mindset that she'd have won there without that error and provided she can avoid similar this time around, she'll take all the beating in a race that doesn't look any deeper.

Henry De Bromhead's Trendy Lady finished runner-up in the race that Bella Bliss made that chance-ending mistake and she likely rates the main danger, though I'm hoping she'll find one too good again.

No. 3

Bella Bliss (Ire)

Trainer: John McConnell, Ireland
Jockey: B. Hayes
Age: 5
Weight: 10st 13lbs
OR: -

De Bromhead mare to make mark back over hurdles

The rated hurdle at 15:00 is the best race on the card and I'm hoping Zarkavera - who's best known as a useful chaser - can take advantage of the favourable race conditions as she goes back over the smaller obstacles for the first time in a couple of years.

Henry De Bromhead's 6-y-o mare is the highest-rated horse in the field, albeit over fences rather than hurdles, but gets weight from all but one of her six rivals.

She returned from a five-month break to finish a good second in a handicap chase at Punchestown in May, setting a sound pace and only really giving best after the last.

She's a much-improved model now from the last time she was seen over the smaller obstacles and the conditions of this race tilt things strongly in her favour if she's capable of reproducing her chase form over hurdles.

It's also a bonus that she clearly goes well fresh and I'm expecting her to give a really good account, possibly at the chief expense of Dollar Value, who bolted up over shorter here in June and has a had a recent run on the flat to keep him ticking over.

No. 7

Zarkareva (Fr)

Trainer: Henry de Bromhead, Ireland
Jockey: Rachael Blackmore
Age: 6
Weight: 10st 13lbs
OR: -

Elliott runner best bet on the card

Rexem won a bumper impressively here on his penultimate start and should be well fancied for the maiden hurdle at 16:30, though I wasn't impressed by his third-place finish on hurdling debut last time, where he finished rather weakly.

I prefer the claims of Gordon Elliott's Westcoastinformant, who improved on his fifth-place effort on hurdling bow to finish second to Perceval Legallois at Wexford last time.

That form was franked when the winner was touched off only narrowly in a good handicap at Galway last time and a repeat of that may well be enough for Elliott's charge to get the job done in this sort of company.

Ask Philip and Born Famous are others that are worthy of consideration, but both that pair have had plenty of chances and it would be somewhat of a surprise were they able to beat one who's clearly open to more progression in this sphere.

No. 9