With racing still going on behind closed doors over in Ireland there is afternoon action on the all weather at Dundalk on Friday.
We take a quick-fire look at the 8-race card, giving you some key stats and trends.
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Friday 20th March 2020
Dundalk Horse Racing Tips
1.30 Dundalk:
– Trainer Pat Flynn has a 14% record with his 4+ year-olds at the track – CASA ROMANO
– Trainer DA Love has a 14% record with their 4+ year-olds at the track – ALL THE MOLLIES
– Trainer JJ Lambe is 0-from-31 with their 4+ year-olds at the track – REVERBERATION
– Trainer Sarah Lynam is just 2-from-46 with her 4+ year-olds at the track – TYRCONNELL
VERDICT: With a 14% strike-rate at the track with his older horses then the Pat Flynn-trained CASA ROMANO (e/w) gets the call here. This 4 year-old was 10th of 14 here last week but was actually only beaten 2 ¾ lengths. That came over 7f but the step up to 1m will suit and with that last run coming off a 209-day break then can be expected to have improved for it. Of the rest, Kinch and Tennessee Wildcat are respected.
2.00 Dundalk:
– Trainer M Halford won this race last year – STRIP LIGHT
– Trainer Donnacha Aidan O’Brien has a 40% record with his 3 year-olds at the track – FLOWER GARLAND
– Trainer Gavin Cromwell is 0-from-31 with his 3 year-olds at the track – POINT REYES
– Trainer Keith Clarke is 0-from-27 with his 3 year-olds at the track – LINDA’S GRACE
VERDICT: The unexposed Strip Light is respected from the Halford yard that won this race 12 months ago, but the call is FLOWER GARLAND, who was a nice CD winner here last month. She won by an easy 6 lengths that day under jockey Gavin Ryan, who is riding again here and able to still claim 5lbs. Of the rest, another CD winner in the field – Aerclub – and Line Judge looks the obvious dangers.
2.30 Dundalk:
– Jockey W J Lee has a 12% record riding 4+ year-olds at the track – NORTHERN SURPRISE
– Trainer Liam Lennon is just 1-from-24 with his 4+ year-olds at the track – PEGASUS BRIDGE
VERDICT: Plenty of proven CD winner in the line-up – Tony The Gent, Glenmoore, Northern Surprise and Pegasus Bridge, but in this Claiming race the Denis Gerard Hogan runner – YUFTEN – looks to have plenty in-hand based on the ratings. This 9 year-old isn’t getting any younger but is still rated 92 and that’s well clear of the rest of the runners. Draw 2 is perfect and the drop back to 7f will suit having won over this trip here back in December. Tony The Gent can give the pick most to think about.
3.00 Dundalk:
– Trainer Dermot Weld has won two of the last three runnings – UNANSWERED & HAPARANDA
– Trainer Joseph O’Brien has a 18% record with his 3 year-olds at the track – JULIET ROSE & PRESGRAVE
– Trainer Gavin Cromwell is 0-from-31 with his 3 year-olds at the track – DIFFERENTIATE
– Jockey Rory Cleary is just 3-from-131 (2%) when riding 3 year-olds at the track – DUTCH ADMIRAL
VERDICT: Not a lot of past runs or form to go on, with Dutch Admiral probably setting the standard after a couple of fourths at the track recently – the last coming in a Listed contest. Juliet Rose was a close runner-up here last month over this trip too and should be in the mix for the powerful Joseph O’Brien camp, but having won 2 of the last 3 runnings of this race the Dermot Weld runners – Unanswrred and Haparanda look the most interesting. Both are respected, but a chance is taken on HAPARANDA (e/w), who is a very well-bred filly. She looks the sort to improve for the step up in trip having run on well over the extended mile at Galway last time (Oct). Connections have taken their time with her since, while jockey Oisin Orr rode the winner of this race for the yard 12 months ago and has been booked to ride this Aga Khan-owned 3 year-old too.
3.30 Dundalk:
– Trainer Noel Kelly has an 18% strike-rate with his 4+ year-olds at the track – SEVENLEFT
– Trainer J Fahey is only 1-from-29 (3%) with his 4+ year-olds at the track – NANAFULLAM
– Jockey Colin Keane has an 18% record riding 4+ year-olds at the track – FOLLOWME FOLLOWYOU
VERDICT: CD winners, Getgo and Madmoiselle Penny command respect with proven winning form over this trip at the track, while Sevenleft and Tio Esteban are also course winners here – albeit over a different distance. But the call is the Jack Davison-trained FOLLOWME FOLLOWYOU, who was a solid runner-up here over this trip a few weeks ago. He’s up 3lbs for that but stayed on well to suggest she can be in the mix again with jockey Colin Keane, who has a decent strike-rate at the course, back in the saddle.
4.00 Dundalk:
– Trainer M Halford has an 18% record with his 4+ year-olds at the track – GOUGANE BARRA
– Trainer D Coakley has a 27% (9-from-33) record with his 4+ year-olds at the track – PARK ROW
– Trainer Luke Comer is 0-from-47 with this 4+ year-olds at the track – GUILD
– Jockey Colin Keane has an 18% record riding 4+ year-olds at the track – MUZBID
VERDICT: Many proven CD winners in the line-up – Muzbid, Cautious Approach, Park Row, Touch Of Gold and Mandarin Monarch, so these have to be respected. As do the two Joseph O’Brien entries – Irradiate and Tonkinese, but it might be worth taking a chance on one of the already mentioned CD winners – PARK ROW (e/w). This 10 year-old isn’t getting any younger and finished well down the field last time out behind Muzbid, but that didn’t look his true running. Prior to that he’d been fairly consistent, while it’s hard to ignore the decent 27% record the Coakley yard have with their 4+ year-old at the track.
4.30 Dundalk:
– The horse from stall 4 has won the last three runnings – MISTY AT SEA
– Trainer M Halford has an 18% record with his 4+ year-olds at the track – WHEREWITHAL
– Trainer Edward Lynam has a 17% record with his 4+ year-olds at the track – MAJOR POWER
– Trainer J Murphy is 0-from-44 with his with his 4+ year-olds at the track – FIT FOR FUNCTION
VERDICT: Poet’s Pride was a good winner here last time out over 7f, but is down in trip here and up 4lbs for that. Major Power has to be on the shortlist after winning it’s last three, but all three came over 7f so this drop back to 6f might not be ideal. Eacharn is the only CD winner in the line-up so enters calculations too, but it’s interesting that the last three winners of this race ALL came from stall 4 – with that in mind the John James Feane runner – MISTY AT SEA (e/w) – gets the call. This 4 year-old returned from a 77 day break last time out over this trip to run a fair fourth (of 12) and is also dropped 2lbs for that. With only four career runs we can also expect more in the locker from one of the lesser-exposed runners in the field.
5.00 Dundalk:
– The horse from stall 2 has won 3 of the last 4 runnings – KERRY BLUE
– Jockey Ron Whelan has a 15% record riding 3 year-olds at the track – LAZY SUSAN
– Trainer Thomas Cleary is 0-from-23 with his 3 year-olds at the track – LADY ALCAZAR
– Jockey Rory Clearly is just 3-from-131 (2%) riding 3 year-olds at the track – LADY ALCAZAR
VERDICT: Not a single course winner, let alone a CD winner in the field! With the horse from stall 2 having won 2 of the last three then Kerry Blue has to be given a second glance, but the unexposed LEQUINTO could be the answer. This lightly-raced 3 year-old has only had four career runs but returned to the track after a 170-day break last time to run a close third here. That came over this 6f trip and he’s only rated a pound higher here. He can be expected to have come on for that spin with it coming off a 6 month break and top Irish pilot Wayne Lordan continues in the saddle.
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