Down Royal gamble foiled after price plummets to single figures from 50-1

A gamble on I'll Be Handy for the 1m3f handicap at Down Royal (4.55) on Monday was foiled, three days after his trainer Matthew Smith left Dundalk with a similarly well-backed winner in Sarimento Power.

The three-year-old, who sported blinkers for the first time and was ridden by Seamie Heffernan, was unplaced. He has now yet to finish in the frame in 11 starts.

He was available at 50-1 generally overnight but was heavily backed throughout Monday morning and went as short as 6-1.

Smith is 0-19 with his runners over jumps this season and is 4-59 on the Flat. That includes his most recent winner Sarimento Power, who like I'll Be Handy had no recent form and was wearing blinkers for the first time when taking Friday's 1m4f handicap at Dundalk. 

He was sent off 4-1 under Robbie Colgan and won comfortably by two and three-quarter lengths. The stewards asked the trainer about the improvement and he said that the "gelding had possibly benefited from a break and/or the application of blinkers".

Who is Matthew Smith?

Matthew Smith, whose stable is based in Kilmessan in County Meath, is a dual purpose trainer who is probably best known for his exploits with Ronald Pump. 

As well as finishing runner-up to Lisnagar Oscar in the 2020 Stayers' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, Ronald Pump also finished second to Honeysuckle in the Hatton's Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse in 2020 and 2021. He was rated 157 at his peak. 

Smith sent out Rawnaq to win the Grade 2 Flyingbolt Novice Chase at Navan in 2015, and performed heroics with One Cool Poet, who won three times in the space of five days during the Galway Races in 2019. 

Smith's most recent big-race victory also came at Galway when Flaming Moon landed a Listed novice hurdle under Bryan Cooper at 11-1.

Read more . . .

Harry Redknapp silks get a rare showing at Down Royal and Brighton specialist bids to become winningmost horse at the track this season 

Find out who features among the 17 remaining entries for the Arc at Longchamp on Sunday 

'It's difficult to catch a moving target' - how Oisin Murphy’s relentless run turned the title race into a procession 

Looking for free bets? Racing Post have got the best offers, all in one place. Visit racingpost.com/freebets to find out more.