Downpatrick – Sunday 20th March

I would not go as far as saying the dust has settled on the week that was at Cheltenham, but certainly Cheltenham has left its mark on plenty and perhaps some will be overlooking the weekend cards to try and recover. As much as I adopted that strategy somewhat yesterday on my travels home, the lure of the racing from Downpatrick today is too good an opportunity to pass up and I’m looking forward to trying to dissect a few of the races. 

I have been in very middling form myself recently and hopefully with the exertions of Cheltenham behind us, we can try to start and build a bit of momentum. I am looking at the 2.40 to try to be the catalyst for that – with this 2m3f rated hurdle looking to be an open race with plenty of chances in it. I quite like the look of Priory Park on this occasion, for the Eddie O’Grady team – who is back in a much more suitable race than last time. He had been very progressive in the early part of this season and I am feeling it is wise to put the last day down to the trip above anything else. Returning to this trip and on ideal ground conditions, I can’t see why he couldn’t run a big race. At a price of 9/2 with Paddy Power, I am going to play it safe and back him each way. 

The 3.15 race is the handicap hurdle of the day and it comes over the exact course and distance of the previous race of 2m3f. I am going to take a chance on Peckham Springs in this contest, who is shaping like he could be coming close to a win for his new connections based on his effort at Leopardstown the last day. He ran to the line that day over 2 miles, so this step up in trip may look like a prudent move and he enlists the claim of Danny Hand to further help this horse. He is off an unchanged mark of 109 – which seems like it is workable, and this doesn’t look like one of the strongest races. Although he is coming in here off joint top weight, he may well have a bit of added class. At a price of 5/1 with Paddy Power – who are offering 4 places, he is another each way bet. 

The final selection of the day comes in the feature race itself, the Ulster National at 3.45 over the extended trip of 3m4f. The Chase course at Downpatrick can take some getting used to and therefore I put a premium on previous course form. With that in mind, the winner of this race from 2019 and second from 2020, Amaulino – looks to have a decent chance if anyway able to rediscover his form on the track. Having won this off 121, he was second off 129. He has been out of sorts on the track in recent years, and returns from a spell in the Point to Point fields with a mark of 122. That is workable, in his best form, and he has been showing some signs of life in his recent Points. He brings that vital course form to the table and he may not be badly handicapped if the spark remains. At a price of 12/1 with 5 places available, it is worth finding out.