Down Royal Tips: Race-fit Magical Zoe to down odds-on favourite

Two fantastic days at Down Royal, centred around the G1 Champion Chase on Saturday, begins with a seven-race offering on Friday.

Below are my fancies for the card - including one against the odds-on favourite for the G3 Bottlegreen Hurdle.

12:52 - Hunting Brook @ 9/4

I'd usually steer miles clear of lowly handicaps like this, but Hunting Brook is a fascinating runner for Gordon Elliott, who has made this meeting his own over the years. You've got to pay attention to everything he sends here.

This well-bred six-year-old, who cost €90,000 back in 2020, showed precious little in his six runs over the minimum trip for Emma Lavelle and was then bought for £20,000 - after pulling up off a mark of just 89 on his first go in a handicap.

Clearly Elliott saw something I didn't - and it has to be notable that he runs him here, straight over three miles off a further reduced mark of 86, of all places.

The Cullentra handler started Jungle Prose off in this race last year, off a similar mark. She didn't win, funnily enough, but did land her next four starts, rising nearly 50lbs in the handicap.

There's no form to suggest he should be winning this, but sometimes it pays to read between the lines. Hopefully this is one of those times.

14:02 - Magical Zoe @ 6/4

Having said all that about Gordon Elliott's record at this meeting... I'm taking him on in the G3 Bottlegreen Hurdle!

Irish Point is a classy individual who bumped into the likes of Supreme winner Marine Nationale and Ballymore third Champ Kiely last season before a much-deserved Grade 1 victory in the Mersey Novices' Hurdle at Aintree's Grand National Festival, but this looks a tough assignment on his first start in open company.

Firstly, he has a whopping 13lb penalty for that aforementioned success at the very highest level. That's a hinderance, especially on soft ground. He'll also probably need the run, as many of Elliott's have this term.

Most importantly, he meets the race-fit Magical Zoe who's in receipt of nearly a stone.

The five-year-old mare, who was runner-up to You Wear It Well in the Mares' Novices' Hurdle at this year's Cheltenham Festival, returned to action in late September with a pretty comfortable Listed success on very testing ground at Gowran.

She'll have come on immensely for that and looks set for a career-best performance in conditions she loves, which gives her every chance of winning another Grade 3.