2:38 Down Royal
The 2:38 at Down Royal is a 15-runner Start Your Racing TV Free Trial Now Handicap Steeplechase over three miles on yielding ground. A competitive field lines up with a range of handicap ratings from 90 to 124, and the KTB Fit Scores highlight a clear top pick on 73 while the remainder cluster between 64 and 35. Several runners have shown ability at the track or trip, but the overall numbers suggest a race that will be decided by how the prominent and held-up types cope with a genuinely-run pace.
How the race shapes up
The pace shape is genuinely run with high confidence, featuring a front-runner likely to be pressed by several handy types. Labondance is the sole confirmed front-runner while a cluster of prominent racers including Antrim Coast, Dinoland, Drop A Threat, Intense Approach, Brucejack, Ringdufferin, Mister Pink and Attaboyarchie should ensure early pressure. This sets up a fair test where those held up towards the rear, such as Minella Sixo, Ladies Well, Charlie Luciano, King Gris and Shantou Show, will need to time their efforts carefully. The key question is whether the prominent brigade can sustain the gallop or if the race will fall into the hands of a strong-traveling hold-up horse.
The KTB Fit ranking
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1Clonmeen KTB Selection73/100
Clonmeen is the KTB Selection. This smart 11-year-old has three wins from 18 starts at the trip and won over this distance earlier in his career. He boasts solid course form with one win from three runs at Down Royal and is proven on yielding ground, having been placed twice from four starts. The trainer operates at a 10% strike rate at the track from 20 runs while the jockey has an 11% strike rate from 113 rides here. Settling typically in midfield, Clonmeen will look to make steady headway as the race develops in what should be a genuinely-run contest.
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2Minella Sixo64/100
Minella Sixo comes into this with a KTB Fit Score of 64. Rated 119, the 7-year-old has recent form of 200-66 and is usually held up, producing his effort late. He has two runs on yielding ground without a win or place and no course form on record at Down Royal. The trainer has a modest 3% strike rate at the track from 254 runs while the jockey, claiming 7lb, records a 10% strike rate from 29 rides here. His hold-up style could prove well-suited if the prominent horses go hard early in this genuinely-run race.
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3Ladies Well62/100
Ladies Well is rated 62 on the KTB Fit scale. The 6-year-old has an official rating of 107 and recent form reading U12141, showing consistent ability. Usually held up and producing effort late, he has a strong record on yielding ground with one win from three starts and two places. The trainer has a 5% strike rate at Down Royal from 62 runs while the jockey boasts an impressive 23% strike rate from just 13 rides at the track. A run of eighth on his only previous visit here suggests he may improve with experience of the course.
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4Antrim Coast61/100
Antrim Coast carries a KTB Fit Score of 61. Rated 124, the 8-year-old has recent form of 25-601 and races prominently, usually on or close to the lead. He has a solid yielding-ground record with one win from four starts and three places. The trainer has a 0% strike rate at Down Royal from two runs while jockey Danny Mullins operates at 7% from 186 rides here. Without course form on record, his prominent run-style should see him involved early in what is expected to be a strongly-run three-miler.
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5Charlie Luciano59/100
Charlie Luciano is rated 59 on the KTB Fit scale. A smart performer, he has shown his best at this track with a fourth here last season and steps up to 3m for the first time today having been placed at the distance without winning. His record on yielding ground reads just one win from eight runs with two places. Trainer Noel Meade has a 16% strike rate at Down Royal from 854 runs, above his 13% elsewhere, and jockey Conor Stone-Walsh sits on a 9% strike rate here from 45 rides. Usually held up, he will be looking to come from off the pace in a race that should unfold at a genuine gallop.
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6Dinoland59/100
Dinoland has a KTB Fit Score of 59. A smart performer who has won at this trip and at this track, his recent form includes two wins from his last three starts but he has failed to place in four runs on yielding ground. The trainer records an 8% strike rate here while the jockey is operating in line with his general record.
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7Drop A Threat58/100
Drop A Threat carries a KTB Fit Score of 58. Rated 108, the 7-year-old has recent form of 0P5620 and races prominently. He tries first-time headgear having shown no win or place from two runs on yielding ground and has no course form on record. The powerful yard has a 21% strike rate at Down Royal from 955 runs while the jockey records 18% from 56 rides here.
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8Intense Approach55/100
Intense Approach is rated 55 on the KTB Fit scale. The 7-year-old has recent form of 0-06P2 and races prominently. He is unproven on yielding ground with no runs on the surface and has no course form on record. The trainer has a 7% strike rate at Down Royal from 317 runs while the jockey is yet to score from 18 rides here.
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9Brucejack47/100
Brucjack has a KTB Fit Score of 47. A smart performer who won on his only previous run here, he has not shown much on yielding ground in four attempts and steps up in trip today having failed to place in three previous tries at 3m. The yard and jockey both have solid records at Down Royal that match their overall figures.
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10Labondance46/100
Labondance is rated 46 on the KTB Fit scale. The 5-year-old tends to make the running or race on the pace and is unproven on yielding ground with no runs on the surface. The trainer has a strong 21% strike rate at Down Royal from 33 runs while the jockey records 14% from seven rides here.
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11Ringdufferin44/100
Ringdufferin carries a KTB Fit Score of 44. A smart performer who has run respectably over this course without winning, he steps up to a trip he has won at before though his recent form is patchy and he has shown little on yielding ground in two tries. The trainer's record here matches his overall strike rate while the jockey is still seeking a first Down Royal success from 73 rides.
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12Mister Pink44/100
Mister Pink has a KTB Fit Score of 44. Rated 110, the 8-year-old has recent form of -54570 and races prominently. He tries first-time headgear having been placed twice from three starts on yielding ground without winning and has no course form on record.
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13Attaboyarchie43/100
Attaboyarchie is rated 43 on the KTB Fit scale. A useful performer who has shown his best form here with a second and a fourth from two runs at Down Royal, he drops back from 3m2f to a trip where he has placed once in five starts without winning, though he is zero from five on yielding ground. The trainer operates at an 11% strike rate here which is in line with his overall record while the jockey has had too few rides at the track to judge.
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14King Gris43/100
King Gris carries a KTB Fit Score of 43. Rated 90, the 6-year-old has recent form of 5-5704 and is usually held up, producing effort late. He is unproven on yielding ground with no runs on the surface and finished fifth on his only previous run at Down Royal.
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15Shantou Show35/100
Shantou Show has the lowest KTB Fit Score on 35. A useful performer who has won twice at this trip from 11 attempts, he steps back up in distance today having last run over 2m7½f. He has been a regular at Down Royal with three runs yielding only minor placings and his latest form figures of 73P556 show consistency without real threat. The trainer's 3% strike rate at the track is below his 8% elsewhere while the jockey is still seeking a first winner from six rides here.
KTB verdict
Clonmeen stands out as the KTB Selection. An 11-year-old with proven ability at this trip, a win at the course and a solid record on yielding ground, he brings the strongest combination of course, trip and ground credentials into a genuinely-run handicap. His midfield run-style should allow him to conserve energy before making steady progress as the pace tells. The main dangers are likely to come from Charlie Luciano, who has shown his best at this track, and the progressive Ladies Well, whose hold-up style and good record on yielding ground could see him finishing strongly. Antrim Coast and Dinoland, both prominent runners with recent form, add further depth to what looks a competitive renewal.
KTB Selection Clonmeen
Early prices
The best price per runner across the bookmakers we track, each as first seen (UK time). Every runner had a price by 12:03am, 31 Oct. Prices move — see the live racecard for current prices.
| Runner | Early price | Bookmaker, time |
|---|---|---|
| Clonmeen | 25/1 | Bet365, 12:03am |
| Minella Sixo | 18/1 | Bet365, 12:03am |
| Ladies Well | 5/1 | BetTom, 12:03am |
| Antrim Coast | 4/1 | BetTom, 12:03am |
| Charlie Luciano | 13/2 | Bet365, 12:03am |
| Dinoland | 15/2 | Bet365, 12:03am |
| Drop A Threat | 9/2 | BetTom, 12:03am |
| Intense Approach | 12/1 | Bet365, 12:03am |
| Brucejack | 9/1 | Bet365, 12:03am |
| Labondance | 18/1 | BetTom, 12:03am |
| Ringdufferin | 22/1 | Bet365, 12:03am |
| Mister Pink | 16/1 | BetTom, 12:03am |
| Attaboyarchie | 20/1 | Bet365, 12:03am |
| King Gris | 18/1 | Bet365, 12:03am |
| Shantou Show | 22/1 | Bet365, 12:03am |
This is the narrative read of the 2:38 Down Royal. For the live card — runner-by-runner stats, the full Fit Score breakdown and current odds — see the Down Royal racecard. Every result we hold for the track is on the Down Royal results & records page. How favourites, trainers, jockeys and the draw have fared here over the last five years is on the Down Royal racecourse statistics page. New here? How KTB works explains the Fit Score and why we publish both.
Questions about this race
Which horse has the highest KTB Fit Score and is the selection?
Clonmeen with a KTB Fit Score of 73/100.
How many wins has Clonmeen recorded at Down Royal?
One win from three runs.
What is Noel Meade's strike rate at Down Royal?
16% from 854 runs.
Which runners are unproven on yielding ground?
Intense Approach, Labondance and King Gris have no runs on yielding ground.
Who has the best jockey strike rate at Down Royal among the principals?
Cian Quirke with a 23% strike rate from 13 rides.
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