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18:41 Galway Mon 07 Sep 2026 2m2f54y Good 8 runners

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Mr Fox’s call

Ocastle Des Mottes silks

Ocastle Des Mottes

SPECULATIVE Advised 9/4 SP 7/4 Est. 32%

🏆 WON

Mr Fox says

Ocastle Des Mottes (SR:121, 9/4) is trained by W P Mullins (21% career strike rate, 1319 runners) with Paul Townend aboard at a remarkable 29% career strike rate — the strongest connections pairing in this field by some margin. The market has moved aggressively in its favour, shortening 20% since opening, which is a significant steamer signal that the powerful Mullins yard is confident. While the SR of 121 is modest, this is a beginners' steeplechase at €7,800 prize money where raw ability ratings are compressed and form over fences at this novice level is limited across the board — connections quality and market intelligence become decisive differentiators. The form string 5/4-P2 shows a horse returning from a break that has run into a place recently, and Townend at 29% does not ride casual entries. Each-way alternative: Ndaawi. Main danger: Ndaawi — Ndaawi carries the highest SR in the field at 141 — well clear of any rival — trained by Gordon Elliott (15%, 1781 runners) with proven GoingFit:+ on today's good ground, and despite drifting 14% in the market the underlying ability level means any step forward from its last run (which featured first-time hood 'p') could make it unbeatable.

Verify· #16581

Full result

Winner: Ocastle Des Mottes (FR) at SP 7/4. Mr Fox’s picks highlighted in gold.

  1. 1 Ocastle Des Mottes silks Ocastle Des Mottes Fox #1 W P Mullins · Paul Townend 7/4
  2. 2 Mongibello silks Mongibello Fox #4 S R B Crawford · J J Slevin 8/1
  3. 3 Polepatrick silks Polepatrick Mark Edmund McCrory · Donagh Meyler 18/1
  4. 4 Ndaawi silks Ndaawi Fox #2 Gordon Elliott · Danny Gilligan 13/8
  5. 5 Daydream Nation silks Daydream Nation William Harvey · Ben Harvey 13/2
  6. — Captain Ryan Matt silks Captain Ryan Matt Fox #3 Henry De Bromhead · Darragh O'Keeffe 3/1
  7. — William Tell silks William Tell David Harry Kelly · Daniel King 12/1
  8. — Feet On The Ground silks Feet On The Ground James William Hannon · Phillip Enright 100/1

Top 4 — how each finished

  1. 1 Ocastle Des Mottes silks Ocastle Des Mottes 9/4 SP 7/4 🏆 WON
  2. 2 Ndaawi silks Ndaawi 9/4 🏁 4TH
  3. 3 Captain Ryan Matt silks Captain Ryan Matt 3/1
  4. 4 Mongibello silks Mongibello 13/2 🥈 2ND