3:50 Dundalk Tips

Has only won once from 27 starts but has placed in 2 of the last 4 outings, including when 2nd of 18 at Fairyhouse on the latest start in September. A repeat of that effort gives every chance in this.

A competitive event, many in with chances. Ado McGuinness saddles three in this: the favorite Nikki Swango (under a penalty after a win LTO) and the 5-year-old mare DISTILLATE, who I think is in the conversation. She’s a course and distance winner. She’s down to a competitive mark again. She’s 11lb below her last winning Polytrack mark (won a few runs back in Laytown, turf mark). She rocked up here this time last year, October and November, after a summer campaign on the turf and rattled off three 3rds on the spin, all off 65. She arrives here today, again after a summer campaign, off 56..! There’s a slight low draw bias, so she’s got to tack across. At a price I think she’s a key player back up in trip.

I'm chasing the big odds here with Kevin Smith's 9 year old Gelding BLUE WOOD who has now dropped under his last winning mark of 48. This Son of REQUINTO shown a glimpse of his former self when finishing 3rd @Down Royal on Penultimate finishing 3rd 4½ lengths off & had one of todays rivals (Distillate) in behind off a mark of 51, a line has to be drawn through his run here in a trip that he's never taken too (6f) - IF this lad is going to be competitive it will be at this trip with another 2lbs shed aswell as the 7lb she gets from Jockey Patrick McGettigan which brings this charge right back down to a very workable mark with a win & 2 places when running around this mark (47-48). Big odds here but I'll take a punt.