Roscommon, Monday 8 June 2026 — Tips & Selections

Roscommon, Monday 8 June 2026 — Tips & Selections

Light rain is falling over Roscommon and the ground is Yielding to Soft, shaping the entire card. Three races have been selected for coverage today: a tight novice hurdle, a competitive handicap hurdle, and the feature Connacht National handicap chase over 3m1f. Conditions will suit the muddy types and catch out anything that needs quick ground. Keep that front and centre throughout.

5:18 — McNulty Furniture Rated Novice Hurdle (2m4f)

Selection: Polepatrick — 11/8 Boyle Sports

Three runners, but this is anything but straightforward. Polepatrick (Mike O’Connor, Henry De Bromhead) opened his account in impressive fashion at Tramore, breezing home at odds-on over 2m on soft ground. The key upgrade here is the step to 2m4f, a trip the Spotlight notes should be right up his street. He is a horse who has clearly plenty in hand, and the combination of soft-ground form and a longer trip makes him the pick.

De Bromhead runs at 17% at Roscommon historically, and his yard is showing 4 winners from 48 runners in the last 14 days. Not a yard firing at peak rate right now, but Polepatrick’s profile is strong enough to overcome that.

Chanceawetmorning (5/4) is a perfectly solid rival and Elliott’s horse has improved quickly since joining his yard. However, the margin between these two at the weights is negligible, and Polepatrick gets further at going that suits him ideally. The 11/8 is the bigger price in a three-runner field, and that alone makes this a value call. Berto Ramirez (7/2) is interesting but this softer ground over 2m4f looks against him on current evidence.

5:48 — Dermot Hughes Car Sales Handicap Hurdle (2m4f, 11 runners)

Selection: Billy Lee Swagger — 3/1 Boyle Sports

Billy Lee Swagger (Kevin Healy, P J Rothwell) bolted up by eight lengths at Ballinrobe two weeks ago over 22.5f on good ground. The 9lb rise looks steep on paper, but Healy’s 7lb claim absorbs most of it, meaning the horse effectively goes to post off a negligible penalty for a dominant win. The Spotlight confirms his ground is versatile, which matters today given the rain. He goes to post as a deserved favourite in all but official odds.

Sir Allen (11/2 Boyle Sports) is worth a second look. The Andrew Slattery-trained seven-year-old returned from a long break with a decisive Flat win at Navan in March over 1m6f on heavy ground, proving he handles testing conditions. Slattery has 4 winners from 40 in the last 14 days, a yard in decent form, and Sir Allen’s hurdles mark may be exploitable after so long off the track. He is the each-way alternative at a bigger price.

Avalo (9/2) won fresh at Punchestown on yielding but has form figures of two flops on soft ground. With more rain coming, that is a concrete reason to oppose despite the market support. Stede Bonnet (13/2) is interesting given the Cheltenham run can be forgiven on trip grounds, but needs watching rather than backing on today’s evidence.

Billy Lee Swagger to follow up. The claim negates the penalty and the horse is in form.

6:48 — Bet With Tote.ie Connacht National Handicap Chase (3m1f, 19 runners)

Selection: Kings Hill Each-Way — 6/1 Boyle Sports

Nineteen runners, 3m1f, yielding to soft and more rain forecast. The Connacht National is a proper staying test and conditions today suit horses proven in the mud. Kings Hill (Gavin Brouder, Paul John Gilligan) fits that profile almost perfectly. He won a novice handicap chase at Limerick in March over 2m2f on heavy ground off a mark of 117, then stayed on for a ten-length third of 17 at Fairyhouse over 2m5f on yielding to soft in April off 124. He is now likely to line up off a similar mark and the Spotlight is explicit: the more rain, the better his chance. Going up to 3m1f on this ground should not inconvenience a horse who stays strongly in testing conditions.

The one concern is trainer form. Paul John Gilligan has not had a winner from his last eight runners, so blind faith in the yard is not the angle here. The angle is entirely about the horse, the going, and the trip combination. At 6/1 in a 19-runner handicap with five places paid at 1/5 odds, this is a genuine each-way proposition.

Pride Of Place (10/1) is fascinating after bolting up in the Killarney National last month, but the Spotlight flags soft ground as a concern given poor earlier form in those conditions. A nine-pound rise also makes life harder. A Penny A Hundred (9/1, Mullins) is worth monitoring in the market, third in the Mayo National last year and now 3lb lower. Mullins at 22% at this track is always relevant. However, the mare has been off since last autumn and her recent form was ordinary. She is a speculative each-way interest if drifting.

Rocky’s Diamond (9/2) is making his handicap chase debut after 137 days off and the form over hurdles and in novice chasing is there. But that debut angle and the big field make him a market-watch rather than a confident play.

Today’s NAP

Billy Lee Swagger — Dermot Hughes Car Sales Handicap Hurdle (5:48, Roscommon)
Odds: 3/1 — Boyle Sports (others: 3/1 LiveScore Bet)

Eight-length winner at Ballinrobe two weeks ago and the 9lb rise for that performance is almost entirely neutralised by Kevin Healy’s 7lb claim. Ground versatility is confirmed in the Spotlight, so the yielding to soft at Roscommon raises no alarms. P J Rothwell has found a horse in form and the race conditions set up perfectly for a follow-up. The 3/1 is a fair price for a horse arriving with proper recent winning form in a competitive handicap hurdle and is the standout value call on the card today.