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Thorn Plant Hire Beginners Steeplechase

18:13 Killarney Thu 20 Aug 2026 2m7f100y Good 8 runners

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Mr Fox’s call

Affinity Rock silks

Affinity Rock

SPECULATIVE Advised 2/1 Est. 30%

🥉 3RD

Mr Fox says

Affinity Rock (SR:128, 2/1) is the class standout in this field by a clear margin — 16 SR points clear of second-best Where's My Jet and 18 clear of Lemmy Caution — and carries a favourable 11-5, 7lb lighter than every rival at 11-12, a meaningful edge in a beginners' chase over 2m7f on good ground. The form line /10-22 shows consistency at chase level with two recent placed efforts confirming current fitness and jumping competence; a beginners' chase at Killarney is the right opportunity to convert. The 5% market drift is modest and explainable given the 91-day absence, but the SR advantage and weight relief outweigh that concern. Cian Collins (7% trainer SR) is a smaller yard but Danny Gilligan (10%, 448 career runs) is a competent booking for the task. Each-way alternative: Fort Dino. Main danger: Fort Dino — Fort Dino (SR:92, 7/1) has been dramatically steamed 33% in the market — the strongest market move in the race — and Henry De Bromhead (14% strike rate, 1044 runners) is a serious operator who does not steam a horse 33% by accident; despite the 112-day absence and modest SR, market confidence of this magnitude on a young 5-year-old in a beginners' chase demands respect.

Verify· #13344

Full result

Winner: Ballystone (IRE) at SP 4/1. Mr Fox’s picks highlighted in gold.

  1. 1 Ballystone silks Ballystone Fox #4 John C McConnell · Josh Williamson(3) 9/2
  2. 2 Fort Dino silks Fort Dino Fox #2 Henry De Bromhead · Darragh O'Keeffe 7/2
  3. 3 Affinity Rock silks Affinity Rock Fox #1 Cian Collins · Danny Gilligan 13/8
  4. 4 Lemmy Caution silks Lemmy Caution Fox #3 Gordon Elliott · Kevin Healy(7) 3/1
  5. 5 Themanintheanorak silks Themanintheanorak Eugene M O'Sullivan · Phillip Enright 14/1
  6. — Happy Me silks Happy Me W J Burke · Michael Kenneally(5) 66/1
  7. — Heroes Rise silks Heroes Rise Gordon Elliott · Joshua Halford(7) 14/1
  8. — Where's My Jet silks Where's My Jet W P Mullins · Brian Hayes 3/1

Top 4 — how each finished

  1. 1 Affinity Rock silks Affinity Rock 2/1 🥉 3RD
  2. 2 Fort Dino silks Fort Dino 7/1 🥈 2ND
  3. 3 Lemmy Caution silks Lemmy Caution 9/2 🏁 4TH
  4. 4 Ballystone silks Ballystone 11/2 SP 4/1 🏆 WON