Kilbeggan, Saturday 8 August 2026: Tips & Analysis

Kilbeggan, Saturday 8 August 2026: Tips & Analysis

A seven-race card at Kilbeggan on good ground gives punters a solid Saturday evening of jumps action. The going suits horses with a bit of class, and with several trainers running cold over the past fortnight, the value angles are often in the form book rather than the market. Three races stand out for a bet today.

7:48 — KEPAK Handicap Steeplechase (2m4f, €15,000)

Selection: Jasko Des Dames — 5/1 (Boyle Sports, Betfred, LiveScore Bet)

Henry De Bromhead saddles Jasko Des Dames and, while the yard has been quieter than usual over the past fortnight at 4/31, De Bromhead’s 18% course strike rate at Kilbeggan remains one of the strongest in the field. The horse tops the ratings here, and his second five starts back shows he carries genuine class into this. Good ground over this trip suits, and 22 days between runs means he arrives fresh rather than over-raced. The winless recent run is noted, but the figures say he’s the one to beat.

Each-way note: At 5/1 in an 8-runner field with 3 places at 1/5, the win case is strong enough to go straight win here. A Law Of Her Own at 4/1 is the biggest danger but that unseating last time raises real doubts about jumping confidence. Mickie Angel is short enough for a horse ranked seventh on figures.

6:48 — Joe Cooney Memorial Hurdle (3m1f, €9,600)

Selection: Pets Georgina — 5/4 (Boyle Sports, Betfred, LiveScore Bet)

Back-to-back wins going into this 3m1f test, and Pets Georgina has form over today’s trip and going to boot. J J Slevin takes the ride, a pairing worth noting. The concern is trainer John Patrick Ryan running at 0/21 over the past fortnight, which is a cold streak you cannot ignore. But form beats trainer stats when a horse is this in-form, and consecutive wins suggest connections have her spot-on. Rocky’s Diamond is the market leader on the back of a Declan Queally yard that has fired at 3/7 in the last 14 days, but a pull-up ten days ago is a serious flag at this trip. Back the one in form.

5:18 — Well Of Moate Maiden Hurdle (2m, €7,200)

Selection: Digby Bridge Each-Way — 8/1 (Boyle Sports, Betfred, LiveScore Bet)

Barry Connell is a trainer worth following at Kilbeggan. His 16% course win rate comes with an A/E of 1.07, meaning he finds value at this track, and his yard has hit 1/2 in the past 14 days to show it is firing. Digby Bridge has no form figures showing which can either mean greenness or potential, but with Sean Flanagan booked and a trainer in form at a track he knows, this is an interesting play at 8/1 in a big maiden field. Three places at 1/5 makes each-way a sensible approach in an 11-runner race at this price.

The market has Facile Ocean at 6/4 as the clear favourite, and the 2-2-3 form profile makes her obvious. But at that price in a maiden hurdle, the return is limited. First Ascent for Gordon Elliott is another possibility at 7/2, though the Elliott yard is grinding through a poor 14-day run at 1/43. Digby Bridge at 8/1 each-way is where the value sits.

Today’s NAP

Pets Georgina — Joe Cooney Memorial Hurdle (6:48, Kilbeggan)
Odds: 5/4 — Boyle Sports (others: 5/4 Betfred, 5/4 LiveScore Bet)

Two wins on the spin, experience over today’s 3m1f trip on good ground, and J J Slevin in the saddle. The main rival Rocky’s Diamond pulled up ten days ago and is an odds-on chance carrying a real question mark into a test of stamina. Trainer form is the one caveat, but in-form horses at this level tend to tell their own story, and Pets Georgina is clearly the one in form here.