Down Royal afternoon racing tips: Best bets for Saturday, June 22

Enda McElhinney
21 June 2024

Royal Ascot may be coming to a conclusion on Saturday afternoon but it is far from the only show in town and Down Royal will be buzzing too as they stage their Ulster Derby card on June 22.

A quality afternoon at the Antrim layout also includes the Ulster Oaks for the fillies.

They have seven races at Down Royal from 14:05 -17:45 and conditions are forecast to be 'good-good to firm in places' and Irish tipster Enda McElhinney has race-by-race analysis for Planet Sport readers.

Don't forget to check out the full racecard, results and live odds in Planet Sport's racing live centre.

Good luck and please gamble responsibly.

(Please be aware selections could become non-runners after article's first publication)

Saturday Down Royal tips:

14:05 (Down Royal) Presence

14:40 (Down Royal) Chopsticks

15:15 (Down Royal) Lady Doris

15:55 (Down Royal) Psalm

16:30 (Down Royal) Evening's Empire

17:10 (Down Royal) Lily Hart

17:45 (Down Royal) Magical Zoe

14:05 (Down Royal) Presence

Thrice-raced maiden Presence is one to watch closely for Jessica Harrington here on handicap bow.

The New Bay filly was fourth in a Dundalk maiden over 1m2½f in April on her most recent start, a contest by won by Thursday's Ribblesdale scorer Port Fairy.

The runner-up scored next time as well and, on a line through that one, an opening mark of 70 could be quite lenient while Scott McCullagh can take a handy 3lb off in the plate.

14:40 (Down Royal) Chopsticks

Winner at Cork on penultimate start, Not Just Any Eagle met traffic problems when third since at Gowran Park and remains with a chance to do better here.

Chopsticks was an eye-catcher at Leopardstown (1m1f, good to yielding) recently when staying on for fourth of 22 and the lightly-raced 4YO now has Colin Keane enlisted in his quest for a maiden success off the same mark.

15:15 (Down Royal) Lady Doris

One of the features here as a field of eight contest the Ulster Oaks Fillies Handicap over the extended mile-and-a-quarter trip.

Hasana is promising for Dermot Weld but a mark of 86 is asking plenty on just her third start and giving 6lb to Lady Doris might prove too much.

She ran the aforementioned Port Fairy to within a neck at Dundalk in April stepped up to this trip, then won her maiden at Navan from two useful rivals.

She was outstayed since when second at Fairyhouse, clear of the remainder, and this drop back in trip is ideal as rider Gavin Ryan goes for back-to-back wins in this contest.

15:55 (Down Royal) Psalm

A tasty €60,000 on offer to the winner of the Ulster Derby and having swept up an array of prizes at Royal Ascot, the all-conquering Aidan O'Brien could land successive renewals of this race. He saddles two, and Psalm looks best placed in the hands of that man Gavin Ryan again.

The Sea The Stars colt is 0-4 but went very close at Cork behind Kinesiology last month, Jessie Harrington's charge now rated 102 following a near miss in a Listed contest at Leopardstown. Psalm can improve in first-time cheekpieces and defy a mark of 91.

16:30 (Down Royal) Evening's Empire

The filly Evening's Empire hit the crossbar over this C&D last summer and may get some compensation now on only her second crack at this trip on the level.

She was 0-5 in her hurdles efforts since December but not without promise and is fit from a spin at Listowel this month where she was third.

She is on a workable mark and her rider takes 5lb off.

17:10 (Down Royal) Lily Hart

Yes Oui Si has improved in each of three runs and should stay this far but she might be bumping into one here in Lily Hart.

The Ballydoyle filly stepped up to 1m2f on her second start/return from a break at the Curragh last month and finished second behind a promising one from Johnny Murtagh's team.

Up in trip again now, she is very much expected to do well.

17:45 (Down Royal) Magical Zoe

The mare Magical Zoe was a Listed hurdles winner last season for Henry de Bromhead and ran a fine race when fourth in the County Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March after a near miss previous to that at the Dublin Racing Festival.

Her first foray on the level saw her finishing fifth in Listed company at Cork in April having met some traffic woes.

She has happy memories of this venue as a hurdler and with sights lowered, should take the finale under Billy Lee.