Hi Empress to Rule Dundalk

We are treated to another double bill of racing from Dundalk this week. The feature on Friday night is the 7f Light Up Your Night Handicap. The race has received 14 entries and among them are the winners of 46 races and £709,912 prizemoney. The 2014 HRI Trainer of the Year Eddie Lynam has prolific sprinter Balmont Mast in, he has never won over 7f however. Track specialists Captain Joy, Rummaging and Antiquus are entered along with the hat-trick seeking fillies Marble Statuette and Misty Lane. Even Aidan O’Brien could be getting in on the act with The Islander. It’s sure to be a Christmas cracker.

The feature looks fiendishly difficult at entry stage though when considering a bet on the card, and it may pay to look elsewhere. Hi Empress looks the most interesting proposition on the Friday. Fly leaping the stalls last time when a fast finishing 2^nd, the 4yo filly really caught the eye coming home the last 3 furlongs in 33.5 seconds. She was beaten a head by subsequent winner Times in Anatefka and must have made 8 lengths on the leaders from the turn in only for the line to come too soon. 

Though receiving a 4lb penalty it doesn’t look harsh when she should be capable of plenty more with any type of normal trip during the 5f race. 

Clutchingatstraws bids to break her maiden tag on the 5^th time of asking in the mile fillies maiden. I think she will as the key to her is the step up in trip. She is well regarded by the in-form M Callaghan stable, seeing money in the market each time she ran but leaving the impression when best in the finish that she needs further. The stable have won 2 maidens in the last couple of weeks and saw 4 out of their five runners placed. 

Cash Or Casualty is down to an attractive handicap mark now for a horse with such ability and a liking for the track. The Damian English runner has won 4 times here in Dundalk and drops to a low rating of 60. Running off 5lbs higher in September he was third to Havelock Ellis after missing the break, behind him that day was subsequent winner The Dancing Lord. The last run can be excused from stall 14 with an inexperienced rider. I’d expect this once 89 rated gelding to give a bold front running display in a race where a lot of the entries are hold up horses.

 Elsewhere on the Friday High Net Worth showed a bit of old sparkle last time out and is interesting dropping in class in the 10f handicap, though don’t expect him to find much off the bridle in the last as is his way!

Wednesday is the lower key of the evenings. Banna Boirche disappointed for readers of this column last week but is clear on ratings in the claimer in the first. He should win if he gets his act together but be warned; in his 8 wins from 32 runs in Dundalk his average winning distance is less than a length, he doesn’t seem to win by more than necessary, so that may be an angle when betting this race. Kingbet have distance betting for all short priced favourites and bet on the winning margin of every race in UK and Ireland. 

So Focussed made a nice introduction in Naas for Jim Bolger over 6f and could have the potential to win an ordinary looking 3yo+ mile maiden. The step up in trip should suit and Taaluf may be the biggest danger, the AW seems to be her best surface. 

Waver has run moderately on last two occasions but there have been legitimate excuses; slow paces which haven’t suited and incurring traffic in the straight. The AP O’Brien horse is not straightforward and needs to be produced late but is on a feasible handicap mark and should get a good pace to run at here with front runners Ned’s Indian, Specific Gravity and Long Journey Home in the field. 

That’s Ours only has one eye but that might not stop him winning the last 12f race. A gutsy winner here on the 21^st of November the Giant’s Causeway gelding can be forgiven his poor run the last day. Wide all the way and in a better class of race against the likes of Minot Street and Sharjah he couldn’t land a blow. Down a bit in grade here he could be wrongly dismissed in the market judged on his latest effort, which would be a blinkered view.