Sean mc namara

A wide-open contest. Eleven of these are having their first run in a handicap, and it’s highly probable the winner comes from that group. There’s bound to be one lurking here ready to expose a lenient mark. The way ‘Halsafari’ won here LTO suggests he’s ahead of the assessor , albeit he was on the lowest of marks. Upped in trip here today, he might make a mockery of this mark of 90 in the 0-110. The bad point is he’s a 12 y/o, but to be fair he showed no signs of slowing down here two weeks ago. You couldn’t ask him to win any easier. He’s a recent recruit to James Barone, and he seems to have found a spark with him. Harry Sexton gets to claim the full 7 lb here (restricted to 4 lb LTO in a conditional), and I’ll strike while the iron is hot. Rightly or wrongly, I’ll take the SP as something is bound to be punted off the boards in this..

3-year-old 'Response Finale' has shown the odd flash of ability, and I'd imagine has become frustrating for connections. The step up to a mile is experimental but looks to my untrained eye the correct call. She's put in two mid-division runs on the polytrack in recent weeks over 7f and was beaten by 8 lengths twice. The step up might work as her two best snippets on the turf were over 7f and staying on. She's lightly weighted as a result of the duck eggs. The rider's 7lb claim is another positive. The low draw ticks another box, and at 40/1 with 4 places on offer, I'll take a wild swing and hide behind the couch.

‘Phildante’ looks a tad overpriced in my opinion. A repeat of that 2nd 3x runs back in Wexford puts her firmly in the picture. She’s a relatively lightly raced 8 y/o, who, while winless, has place form on soft and heavy. A return to this trip looks sure to suit, and the soft/heavy shouldn’t pose any issue. You could make a case for quite a few here, but 25s is too big as I think she’s capable of better, so I’ll chuck a penny in the well.

Brian McMahon stepped up 'Paul Collins' to 2 miles 4f two runs back, and the improvement came. He claimed this lad is 'the best we have in the yard,' which kinda suggests there's more to come. He did ask him to swim in much deeper waters LTO (0/140). A 'waited with' didn't pay dividends but was staying on past beaten horses, possibly suggesting another step up might eke out a little more improvement. He saddles 2 in this, and the other has come in for support, but that won't put me off having a swing here back in grade (0/110) at double digits.

The more I look at this race, the more I realize it’s dirt poor. While ‘Inchiquin Star’ is thoroughly exposed, she’s a tough, genuine sort and might put manners on a few of these less exposed types who haven’t shown anything of encouragement in maiden company. Paul Kiely’s 6 y/o is a three-time winner over hurdles at this trip and a winner on the level in May at Gowran. She’s ground dependent but handles the soft well (winner twice). With a night of rain forecast in the Mallow region, the return to softer underfoot should play into her strengths. It’s risky, and she is vulnerable to potential improvers, but it’s a risk I’m willing to take.

Last year's winner 'Autocrat' might go well. He drops back into this 0/70 grade again after a winless summer. But he's a 5-time winner here at Dundalk. He's back on last year's winning mark but has won on higher round here. .. LTO here 2 weeks ago, he tackled a 0/90 over 2 furlongs further and finished 8th of 11 but only beat 3 lengths. This might have been the plan and that would have teed him up nicely if so.

‘Rattletheonionbag’ has a mini break to overcome along with a wide draw, but that won’t stop me from backing this 5 y/o mare. This lady, while winless, has a fantastic record around here, placed a whopping 6 times in handicap company and on higher marks than this. The handicapper is definitely giving her a chance. This mark is a career low, and if this is a going day, she might make a mockery of these odds. Recently crowned champion apprentice Wayne Hassett is an interesting booking and 6 looks the trip.. All that said, she might need the run, but there’s also the possibility she runs well fresh.

A very poor qualified riders event, it has to be said. Eugene O'Sullivan has two in this, and I like his outsider 'Rowdy', who ran very well for a long way last time out in Limerick. Unlike a lot of these, where you'd need a telescope to find them on recent runs, that was over 3 miles and now might be worth a go back at 2 miles 4f. He'll be a strip fitter for that. He's in good heart, he's very lightly raced, so there's probably improvement to come. I like the booking of Cal Shine, a very good amateur. Likely to go well and open to improvement.

I like the booking of talented apprentice Michael Kennelly on board Norman Lee’s AT THE WINGS here. Two mid-division runs out of maiden company didn’t show a whole pile, but the step up in trip today might bring about improvement. The soft/heavy is anyone’s guess, but at 20/1+ I’ll roll the dice. It’s risky as this does look a little ‘top heavy’, but one I’m willing to take for shekels.

Back down to 2 miles, 'Donnrua Dream' should come on for his recent run. That was his first run after a break, and improvement would be expected. He's a winner over this trip, he's a winner at this course, and more importantly, a winner on heavy going. OK, maybe the mark might need to come down a few ticks, but they did punt this lad LTO, so they're surely expecting improvement today. You could easily make a strong case for 5-6 in this, but rightly or wrongly, I'll come down on this side at double digits.

5 y/o mare BOSSING IT finished 3rd (beaten 9 lengths) last time out in this grade at Galway over 2 miles. Made a mistake 4 out and recovered well to finish a staying on a never nearer 3rd. The step up in trip looks sure to suit. That was good to yielding, but the dam (Is Herself About) relished the heavy and was a multiple winner in the slop. She’s very lightly raced and looks open to plenty of improvement. She’s had a bit of a break, but I’d imagine that would have done her the power of good.. chance

7 a.m. inspection tells its own story, but I’ll back one on the off chance it goes ahead. The ‘heavy’ (currently waterlogged) is the key to what we’re looking at and looking for. Very few have form on it, and the ones that do, the form is weak. There are 6 places up for offer here, so looking at a rag is the percentage call. 50/1 with Paddy Power, Elusive Prince has something to offer, albeit his last 2 runs we need to find forgiveness (easy to do so over 2 clearly inadequate trips). This 6 y/o recently joined James Barcoe from HDB, where he had snippets of form off 108 and 110 (96 today) at the 2-mile mark. He does have a 3rd on heavy going on his CV from last year in one of his maidens. All that said, it’s a very risky selection, but they’ll probably swim home in Indian file, and it’s anyone’s guess in what order.

Given how well SAN ANDRES runs here at Dundalk, it’s very easy to build a case for this 9 y/o. Joe O'Brien's charge is an 8-time winner here on the polytrack. He’s been placed here multiple times and is now back down below his last winning mark. 7lb apprentice Shay Wallace gets on very well with this charge, who won on him twice last season. Those 2 wins last year came in the 0-100 grade. The 0/90 grade here certainly won’t inconvenience him, and 11/1 is very fair if it stays the dead 8. It’s a competitive event, but he lines up with as good a chance as any.