Kilbeggan, Friday 10 July 2026: Tips & Best Bets

Kilbeggan, Friday 10 July 2026: Tips & Best Bets

A seven-race card at Kilbeggan on good to firm ground under cloudy skies. The feature is the Listed Midlands National, a proper staying handicap chase worth nearly €59,000 and a race that suits horses with a genuine engine and a clean jumping record. Henry De Bromhead has a strong book of runners tonight and his yard has been firing, so keep his runners in mind across the card. Paul Townend also brings his formidable Kilbeggan record to the table, winning at 26% here. The going should suit slick-jumping, front-running types at this track.

6:32 — Kilmurray Group Midlands National Handicap Chase (Listed, 3m1½f)

Selection: Amirite Each-Way (11/1, Boyle Sports/Betfred)

The headline act of the evening, and with 17 runners and four places on offer at 1/5 odds, the each-way format makes this a race to attack from a value angle rather than defaulting to the market leaders.

Amirite tops the form figures according to the race analysis, with a win and a fourth in a productive spell making him the standout on pure ability in this field. The two pulled-up runs since are the obvious concern, and Patrick O’Brien (5lb claimer) is riding rather than a senior partner, but the break since those runs is factored in and the distance has been handled before. At 11/1 in a 17-runner Listed handicap with four places paid, this is precisely the kind of race where the top figure horse at a big price deserves a split stake.

Henry De Bromhead’s yard has sent out 10 winners from 40 runners over the past fortnight. That is a yard operating at full tilt. Raglan Road also carries his colours and is a shorter price at 11/2, having won last time. Both are worth covering each-way in this wide-open affair.

Saver: Raglan Road each-way (11/2, Boyle Sports/Betfred), the De Bromhead second string who returned to winning form last time and handles this trip. Mid-table on the figures but a yard in form and Harry Cobden in the saddle is a significant upgrade.

5:57 — Writech Handicap Hurdle (2m4f, 18 runners)

Selection: Thecompanysergeant Each-Way (9/1, Boyle Sports/Betfred)

An 18-runner handicap hurdle over two and a half miles, with five places at 1/5 odds. The form angle here is simple: Thecompanysergeant won last time out, finished second the run before that, and already has today’s distance in the book. The form is trending in exactly the right direction, which is more than you can say for most of the market.

Yes, the figures place him third rather than top, but the race analysis specifically flags him as preferred on the strength of how that form is developing. Gavin Cromwell’s yard has sent out 9 winners from 56 runners in the past fortnight, a busy and productive operation. Eoghan Finegan takes the 5lb claim, keeping the weight manageable at 166lbs.

Stede Bonnet at 6/1 is the obvious market alternative with two wins in recent form and a second last time, but sixth on the figures at a shorter price makes Thecompanysergeant the better value proposition for each-way purposes at 9/1 in a big-field handicap.

7:07 — Irish Stallion Farms EBF Beginners Chase (3m1½f, 8 runners)

Selection: Franciscan Rock (11/8, Boyle Sports/Betfred)

This is a small field and the favourite case is straightforward. Franciscan Rock sits clear at the top of the form figures, rated as the class horse in this beginners’ chase field. A second place stands out among recent runs, and while the 71-day break is flagged, M F Morris sent out a winner from his one runner in the past fortnight, so the yard is ticking over.

The 11/8 is not a wild price but at this level of beginners’ chase, when one horse sits clearly above the rest on figures and has the physique to handle the good to firm ground at Kilbeggan over three miles, you take the price. Scalpnagoon at 11/2 is the most consistent horse in the race (two seconds, two thirds in recent starts) and is worth a small each-way interest if you want cover, but Franciscan Rock is the call.

Danny Gilligan rides Scalpnagoon and his 15% Kilbeggan record with an A/E of 1.23 is the best strike rate at the course relative to expectation. Worth noting if you want to double up on an outsider for a small place payout.

Today’s NAP

Thecompanysergeant — Writech Handicap Hurdle (5:57, Kilbeggan)
Odds: 9/1 — Boyle Sports (others: 9/1 Betfred, 17/2 LiveScore Bet)

Back-to-back wins-and-placed form over today’s trip, a Cromwell yard running at close to a 16% strike rate from 56 runners in the past fortnight, and a 5lb claim keeping the weight in check. In an 18-runner handicap hurdle, the form trajectory here is the sharpest in the field and 9/1 with five places on offer is a genuine value play. The figures place him third, but the analyst specifically preferred him on improving form, and that matters more than a static snapshot when a horse has won its last race and hit the frame in four of the last six starts.

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