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Clonmel Handicap Hurdle

13:49 Clonmel Thu 01 Oct 2026 2m0f166y Good 12 runners

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Mr Fox’s call

Vaureal silks

Vaureal

SPECULATIVE Advised 7/2 Est. 24%

11TH

Mr Fox says

Vaureal (SR 109, 7/2) is the highest-rated horse in the field by a clear margin and returns off a 116-day break following a last-time-out win, with a MarkMv:-9 indicating he runs off a mark 9lb below his last winning mark — a tangible advantage. Keith Donoghue's booking (13% career strike rate, 1300 runners) is significantly stronger than any other jockey in this field and signals the yard's #1 intention in the Donoghue stable. Although GoingFit:- is a concern on good ground and DistFit:? flags an untested trip, the SR superiority (SR 109 vs nearest rival Dairy Force at SR 100) and the drop in effective mark outweigh these reservations. The market drift of 16% is noted but in a modest €7,200 prize handicap, yard confidence expressed through the jockey booking carries more weight than early-market money. Each-way alternative: Dairy Force. Main danger: Dairy Force — Dairy Force (SR 100, 10/3) is the shortest-priced runner, trained by Gordon Elliott (18% strike rate, 4022 runners — the strongest trainer in the field), was out just 13 days ago showing peak fitness, and holds a Course:W0P1 course placing alongside GoingFit:~ suggesting reasonable ground compatibility, making him the most credible threat to Vaureal despite the SR gap.

Verify· #20799

Full result

Winner: Dairy Force (IRE) at SP 11/4F. Mr Fox’s picks highlighted in gold.

  1. 1 Dairy Force silks Dairy Force Fox #2 Gordon Elliott · James Smith(5) 3/1
  2. 2 Kome Dans Un Reve silks Kome Dans Un Reve Philip Fenton · Niall Moore(5) 33/1
  3. 3 Silly Mongoose silks Silly Mongoose Patrick T Foley · Alex Harvey 20/1
  4. 4 Nelson Muntz silks Nelson Muntz Fox #3 David Harry Kelly · Cian Quirke 13/2
  5. 5 Champagne Dawn silks Champagne Dawn T J O'Mara · Phillip Enright 18/1
  6. 5 Max Meridius silks Max Meridius Fox #4 Thomas Mullins · Danny Mullins 4/1
  7. 7 Stepdance silks Stepdance Henry de Bromhead · Mike O'Connor 22/1
  8. 8 Earthwatch silks Earthwatch Denis Gerard Hogan · Daniel King 18/1
  9. 9 Home By The Sea silks Home By The Sea P A Fahy · Richard Condon(5) 9/1
  10. 10 St Denis's Well silks St Denis's Well Ian Patrick Donoghue · Caragh Monaghan(7) 20/1
  11. 11 Vaureal silks Vaureal Fox #1 Ian Patrick Donoghue · Keith Donoghue 7/2
  12. 12 Kazakh d'Arthel silks Kazakh d'Arthel P J Rothwell · Mr R Sugrue(7) 9/1

Top 4 — how each finished

  1. 1 Vaureal silks Vaureal 7/2 11TH
  2. 2 Dairy Force silks Dairy Force 10/3 SP 11/4F 🏆 WON
  3. 3 Nelson Muntz silks Nelson Muntz 11/2 🏁 4TH
  4. 4 Max Meridius silks Max Meridius 11/2 5TH