Down Royal report: Paul Nolan and Eoin Staples team up for a double on Sunday’s card
Down Royal Racecourse hosted its latest card of the season on Sunday with a competitive seven-race card as trainer Paul Nolan and jockey Eoin Staples bagged a double on the day.
Read below for a full rundown of the Down Royal card courtesy of BetVictor Online Casino.
Up first was a mares maiden hurdle of the two and a half mile trip (1.55) and this one went the way of the favourite Miss Doyenne (8/11) for the Henry De Bromhead team, a comfortable seven and a half length scorer from Forever And A Day in second and Whispering Hopes back in third.
Another two and a half mile contest marked race two on the card (2.30) and 17/2 chance Kalsman bagged first place for trainer Liam Lennon, a three length winner from 20/1 shot Justicialism in second with the winner ridden out before the final fence and jumping it well to win with a little bit in hand.
Ten runners went to post for the novice handicap hurdle over two miles and six furlongs (15/8) and another favourite did the job as Only For Our Man picked up the first victory of the day for trainer Nolan and jockey Staples. Their runner was a seven-length winner from Hitthehayson in second, taking the lead two fences from home and ridden out readily.
Duce Bigalow landed the three-mile handicap hurdle from trainer Colm Ryan, race four on the Down Royal Card, by ten lengths from pre-race favourite Coppola in second, while race five (4.07) went the way of Sandor Clegane to bring up the double for Nolan and Staples, winning by just half a length from Meet And Greet in second.
The penultimate race of the afternoon (4.37) was a three mile and two furlong handicap chase and the spoils went to Bruckejack for the Peter Fahey yard and jockey Danny Mullins, who won cosily by eight lengths to Attaboyarchie in second.
The final race of the card (5.07) saw the biggest-priced winner of the afternoon as 28/1 shot Mastermind sprung a surprise in the three mile and two furlong handicap chase for trainer Helen Markham, sneaking home by a length and three quarters having switched left after the last by jockey Gavin Brouder and took the lead inside the final 110 yards.
Down Royal results - Sunday
1.55 - Miss Doyenne 8/11F
2.30 - Kalsman 17/2
3.05 - Only For Our Man 15/8F
3.35 - Duce Bigalow 13/2
4.07 - Sandor Clegane 11/10F
4.37 - Brucejack 5/1