Bellewstown, Saturday 4 July 2026: Tips and Selections

Bellewstown, Saturday 4 July 2026: Tips and Selections

A seven-race card at Bellewstown on good ground, with cloudy skies keeping conditions consistent throughout. The track rewards front-runners and course specialists, and the trainer stats here are worth leaning on hard. Henry De Bromhead’s 17% strike rate at this venue comes with an A/E of 1.18, meaning his runners consistently outperform their odds. Eoin Christopher McCarthy’s A/E of 2.11 is the standout number on the entire trainer list. Jockey-wise, E Walsh’s A/E of 2.46 from 19% winners is extraordinary value every time that name appears in a market. Keep all three in mind as you work through the card.

5:15, Dickie McGuinness Novice Hurdle (2m1f, 8 runners)

Small field, so no each-way flags here. This looks Beauvallon’s race to lose at 4/7, and if you want to back him, fine, but the money is already in. The more interesting angle is Mino Des Mottes at 9/4 with Boyle Sports. Willie Mullins has two runners here and this lad carries a first-time tongue-tie, which often signals a yard that has spotted an issue and fixed it. His second at Cork last time, where he made a string of jumping errors and still finished runner-up, is form that reads better than the bare numbers suggest. The Mullins operation fires at 21% at Bellewstown, and Josh Williamson keeps the ride. If Beauvallon has an off day, this is the one to beat.

Selection: Mino Des Mottes, 9/4 (Boyle Sports / Betfred)

6:18, Street Sweep Handicap Hurdle (2m1f, 19 runners)

Nineteen runners, five places, and a wide-open heat. This is the race of the day for value hunters.

Putapoundinthejar Each-Way at 6/1 (Boyle Sports) stands out. He won at this very course in April, beaten half a length off this exact mark, and came back last time with a solid third. Course form counts at a track like Bellewstown, and Daniel King has taken the ride. The comment about more positive tactics is significant. If they go forward early, this horse is right in the mix and the place terms at 5 places, 1/5 odds, make the each-way case compelling.

Becasse is next on the shortlist. Henry De Bromhead’s yard fires at 17% here with an A/E above 1.0, and Darragh O’Keeffe is a serious operator. The form reads 1/2-U2, a narrow half-length defeat last time at Listowel off a lower mark, and a first-time tongue-tie is being applied. That tweak often signals Bromhead has identified a specific issue. At 6/1 with a place in five, this is also worth a saver each-way if the budget allows.

Spy at 7/1 deserves mention too. C Byrnes trained him to win at Listowel on better ground, and today’s good going matches his requirements. First-time cheekpieces add interest. The trainer has a 21% strike rate at Bellewstown, though the yard is cold at the moment with no winners in 13 over the last fortnight.

Primary selection: Putapoundinthejar each-way, 6/1 (Boyle Sports / Betfred)

7:48, QuinnBet Bellewstown Handicap Hurdle (3m½f, 17 runners)

Seventeen runners, five places, and a staying test over three miles. The standout here is Burning Ability Each-Way at 15/2 with Boyle Sports.

Trained by Eoin Christopher McCarthy, whose A/E of 2.11 at Bellewstown is the best number on the entire trainer stats sheet, this five-year-old won a maiden hurdle at Listowel last time by two lengths and now takes his chance in a handicap off a mark the comment describes as lenient. The key phrase there is “lenient mark.” When a horse steps up from maiden company into a handicap off a rating that leaves him carrying less weight than his form suggests he deserves, that is a structural edge. G B Noonan rides and the good ground suits.

At 15/2 with five places on offer at a fifth of the odds, the each-way terms are generous. The main question mark is whether the maiden form was inflated by a fallen rival, but consistent placed efforts before that win show this is a genuine performer, not a fluke winner.

Jisco Du Brem at 6/1 is the alternative if you want a shorter price. A handicap winner last time at Ballinrobe over a shorter trip, stepping up further to three miles today, with the comment suggesting the extra distance should suit him even more. Solid credentials, but McCarthy’s runner is the better value play.

Selection: Burning Ability each-way, 15/2 (Boyle Sports / Betfred)

Today’s NAP

Burning Ability — QuinnBet Bellewstown Handicap Hurdle (7:48, Bellewstown)
Odds: 15/2 — Boyle Sports (others: 15/2 Betfred, 7/1 LiveScore Bet)

Eoin Christopher McCarthy’s A/E of 2.11 at Bellewstown is the single most compelling trainer stat on today’s card, and Burning Ability is his runner in a race where the assessor appears to have been generous. A Listowel maiden win by two lengths on ground identical to today’s, now into a handicap off what the form analysts consider a lenient mark, points to a horse with room to improve. The five-place terms at 1/5 odds make the each-way play almost obligatory in a 17-runner field.

Each-Way Recommended — 5 places at 1/5 odds