Native Speaker can claim another 'National' at Kilbeggan

At Cork, Gordon Elliott’s Maxxum sets a decent standard in the featured Brewin Dolphin Hurdle over three miles

Native Speaker and Darragh O'Keeffe en route to winning the Mayo National in May. Picture: Healy Racing

Fri, 10 Jul, 2026 - 04:52

John Ryan

Native Speaker might bag a second ‘National’ of the season by landing the €100,000 Kilmurray Group Midlands National, the annual highlight of Kilbeggan’s season.

The Henry de Bromhead-trained eight-year-old, who won his maiden hurdle on this track back in August 2024, bounced back to form in spectacular style when making virtually all for a convincing success in the Mayo National in late May.

Patrick Hale’s gelding beat Conyers Hill by seven lengths on that occasion and the form was boosted when the third, Ol Man Dingle, went on to land the Galway Plate Trial on this track.

Native Speaker went up 9lb for his Ballinrobe win but, relatively lightly-raced and suited by the Kilbeggan terrain, good ground, and this longer trip, Darragh O’Keeffe’s mount should take plenty of beating.

Henry de Bromhead also runs last year’s winner Amirite under top-weight and the JP McManus-owned Raglan Road, up 3lb for a last-time-out win in Punchestown and the mount Harry Cobden.

Uncle Pat, a wide-margin winner at the Punchestown festival and now 12lb higher, carries the hopes of Willie Mullins and Paul Townend and is another for the shortlist.

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Earlier on the Kilbeggan card, the De Bromhead/O’Keeffe partnership might strike with handicap debutant Gameball in the Writech Handicap Hurdle.

Winner of a Punchestown maiden hurdle, this fellow finished fourth behind Koktail Bleu in the Grade Two Royal Bond at Fairyhouse last November and, on his return after a five-month break, filled third spot behind Beauvallon at Punchestown in late April.

Off 132, Gameball should have rock-solid claims in a wide-open handicap.

We also have jumps action at Cork Racecourse, Mallow where, favourited by race conditions, Gordon Elliott’s Maxxum sets a decent standard in the featured Brewin Dolphin Hurdle over three miles.

This versatile gelding, twice successful in Grade Two company, is a seven-time winner over hurdles and, more recently, has triumphed twice over fences.

Last seen when his jumping let him down and he finished a well-beaten tenth in the Mayo National, Maxxum is rated 146, receives weight from his main rivals, and is expected to prove too strong for the Charles Byrnes-trained Reverend Hubert, winner of a two-mile Curragh handicap off 88 last time.

And Maxxum’s 115-rated stable-companion Hygge, third in each of his four outings over flights and conqueror of subsequent dual-winner Treasure Rose in a one-mile Flat maiden in Killarney last time, will be expected to open his hurdle account in the Ashgrove Renewables 4-Y-0 Maiden Hurdle.

CORK

Selections

5.10 Hygge

5.45 Minella Post

6.15 Gino Bella

6.50 Brosna Queen

7.25 Jeroboam Machin

8.00 Maxxum (Nap)

8.30 Vadique

Next best

5.10 Saporetti

5.45 Moja Dame