'She Looks An Exciting Prospect' - Three Horses To Follow at Down Royal on Friday With six British and Irish meetings taking place across Friday there's lots of racing action to cater for all tastes. Amongst it will be the jumps card from Down Royal, where there are seven races from 13:02-16:20 on ground forecast to be 'good to yielding', but that could change. We've picked out a trio to follow at the Northern Irish venue, including Midleton Rare who landed a hefty gamble on his first start for Ian Donoghue earlier this month and he can follow up in style. Selections Down Royal 13:32 — Midleton Rare Down Royal 14:02 — Korinthia Down Royal 15:12 — Sayitfirst Midleton Rare — Down Royal 13:32 Ian Donoghue does rather well with horses he takes on from other yards and that proved to be the case once again as MIDLETON RARE won on stable debut at Limerick this month off the back of a 225-day break. Given a patient ride on the day in soft conditions, he travelled smoothly into the 2m3f handicap hurdle and forged to the front coming up the straight, going on to win in decisive fashion. He should follow up in the 3m handicap hurdle at Down Royal. Midleton Rare won one race in 12 starts for his former trainer Dermot McLoughlin, that being a bumper at Fairyhouse in October 2023, but he lost his way after that. It's clear that Donoghue has found a good tune out of him now and he should stay this far. Korinthia — Down Royal 14:02 Willie Mullins will run two in the Grade 3 Mares' Novice Hurdle over 2m1f and although many will favour Cameletta Vega, who is of course a daughter of Quevega, it might pay to side with stablemate KORINTHIA on this occasion. The dual bumper winner has won three of her four starts, with the only blemish coming when fifth in a Listed bumper at Cheltenham behind Seo Linn last November. After close to a year off the track, Korinthia landed the odds on her hurdles debut at Ballinrobe in September, well on top at the finish, and she looks an exciting prospect for the Killeedy/Listowel Syndicate for the season ahead. Sayitfirst — Down Royal 15:12 The Darren Collins-trained SAYITFIRST has thrived on right-handed sharp tracks of late and the late-blooming nine-year-old mare can get her head back in front in a competitive renewal of the extended 2m handicap chase. She was well on top at the line when winning off 89 at Sligo on the first day of October, and she was desperately unlucky not to follow up at Tramore eight days later from an 8lb higher mark. Held up just behind midfield, she had a couple of sketchy jumps early on and was short of room on landing when checked at the seventh fence, before again clobbering the penultimate flight, and still only just failed by a short head. She can make amends.
