Fran Berry: Rose to bloom | Friday Dundalk tips
Our man in Ireland has been in great form during the winter at Dundalk - don't miss Fran Berry's tips for Friday's card as Irish racing keeps the show on the road.
Recommended Bets: Dundalk, March 20
4pts win Juliet Rose in 3.00 Dundalk at 5/4
1pt win Mithmaar in 3.30 Dundalk at 7/1
1pt e.w Gougane Barra in 4.00 Dundalk at 8/1
2pts win Lequinto in 5.00 Dundalk at 7/2
For details of advised bookmakers and each-way terms, visit our transparent tipping record
3.00 Juliet Rose
She’s even money at the time of writing and looks a good bet at those odds. Trained by Joseph O’Brien and a daughter of Camelot, there was a bit of market support for her on debut and she shaped okay before improving markedly up in trip next time. Beaten a head by the 79-rated China Storm, she also finished ahead of a 72-rated horse and that sort of number is a clear standard setter in this contest. This doesn’t appear to be as deep as race as that she ran in last time so she should be very hard to beat over the same course and distance.
3.30 Mithmaar
Trained by Denis Hogan this is his handicap debut and he makes some appeal at an each-way price off a mark of 57. He’s only having his third run for his new trainer having been a once-raced horse for Mark Johnston when owned by Sheikh Hamdan. He caught the eye in a lot of ways on his last start earlier in the month in a maiden at this track over a mile. He sat handy and kept going well despite being green under an inexperienced rider. Stepping back up in trip on handicap debut he’s worth an each-way play in what looks a weak handicap for the track.
4.00 Gougane Barra
Regular readers may well remember this fellow and he comes with a wealth warning! He can be problematic in the stalls as he has reared in them in the past including last time out. However, if he does get off to a calm start without issues he can go close here back up in trip to 1m4f. Two starts ago he was beaten a length by Jon Ess, who went onto win again since, and given he’s so unexposed over the distance he represents good each-way value.
5.00 Lequinto
He made a very good start to life in handicaps on the polytrack at Dundalk in February, running really well from a wide draw to be only beaten a head and half-a-length. On the back of that run he’s only 1lb higher and he’s much better berthed on Friday in stall one. With that handicapping experience under his belt he rates a good better to go a couple of places better under Wayne Lordan.
Preview posted at 1630GMT on 19/03/2020