Flat Racing 13th April (Leicester, Dundalk and Wolverhampton)

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« 6:45 » Dundalk (AW) (IRE) FRI 13 APR 2012 DUNDALK STADIUM ON FACEBOOK HANDICAP (3yo+ 50-80) Winner €6,900 Standard 1m2f150y Number of runners: 5 DART QUEEN 4pts to win @ 9/4 bog (Bet365) Dart Queen has been a very frustrating mare for her connection since she is still maiden after 22 starts but she likes it here as she collected all her best efforts as a 3yo here at Dundalk achieving a good 3rd of 13 over this C&D in her second ever out in August 2010 and a very close 2nd of 14 back to this C&D later that year in October and she came back to her best after a winter break (last run 6 Oct) to finish a very close and unlucky third of 11 (beaten a neck and a head) over today's C&D four weeks ago when Murtagh kept her in last place and so she was having been asked to make up too much ground in the straight and she was kept to run up the inner and only already inside the last furlong Johnny Murtagh switched her wide to produce a quick but late finish. Bad ride imho, giving her too much to do and making a bad (and of course a bit unlucky) choice in the final straight. Anyway that was a good performance first time out and the winner Indian Scout had won a similar race in his previous start and confirmed that form losing just by a head in his next start upped another 2lb for that win. That race where Indian Scout was second a head behind Hawkswood was also Dart Queen's next and latest out. On Wednesday over 1m4f always here at Dundalk she ran a similar race with the classic exaggerated waiting tactics and too much to do in the final straight (14 runners) missing once again a clear run inside the final furlong and still able to finish a short head behind the third and a bit more than 1L behind the winner even if Murtagh didn't get serious at all in the last 100 meters. Today she has to face only 4 opponents so the problems of traffic in the final straight shouldn't be a problem and with 3 of them all coming back after long breaks she seems to stand a very solid chance today. Weld-trained Carefree Smile is back after 17 months and won only once back in 2009 (as a 3yo) and that was a Maiden at Ballinrobe over 1m1f on yielding to soft ground. She finished 5th in a Listed over this C&D in her next out in 2009 and was rated up to 88 in that period achieving another 2nd over this C&D in May 2010 but after a poor campaign on turf in 2010 she came back at Dundalk for her last two runs over today's C&D and in a Listed over a mile and was very disappointing. Not seen since those efforts she is rated only 75 now but it has a lot to prove after such a long break. Seamus Fahey-trained It's Freezing is a 4yo son of High Chaparral still maiden after 8 runs (three at 2 and five at 3) but ran well in defeat most of the times finishing 3rd of 14 in his only start on AW here at Dundalk in September 2010 over 7f and his 3yo campaign was pretty solid with a 4th, 3rd, 3rd, 6th and 2nd. All those efforts were with Jessica Harrington as he moved to Seamus Fahey only few months ago. He's back after 300 days so he had surely some problem and has faced only a couple of older horses at 3 and will probably need this run. Acquilonius is the other horse coming back from break (just 112 days in this case) and is the current market leader. He's the only 3yo in the field and will carry only 8st13lb (3lb less than 63-rated Dart Queen) for that reason even if he's rated 79. His first three starts at Curragh last year were pretty poor but improved in the autumn finishing 4th, 3rd and winning his last start in December (2yo handicap off 73) all here at Dundalk but over 1m and 7f. So this Bolger-trained colt seems a progressive type (beat 77-rated and former maiden winner Beat The Ballot in very nice style last time out over 1m) and could be a useful middle-disance handicapper this year but first time out he has something to prove about his fitness and upped in trip (never raced over 1m) against older horses. Moreover Bolger's yard had a fantastic March but has been quiet of late with only one winner out of their last 24 runners in the last fortnight. The last runner is the only one who has been kept busy during the all winter: Pivotal Rock. He's a 5yo son of Pivotal trained by Tommy Stack and will have 7lb claimer Gray on board today. The two partnered together in February here over a mile finishing 7th of 13 while Pivotal Rock's next and last start was again over a mile in claiming stakes always here at Dundalk where he finished 4th of 6 well behind the winner under Wayne Lordan. His only win came at Laytown over 7f in September with Dart Queen finishing 6th well beaten. But that was a short trip for my selection and more or less the optimum for a son of Pivotal even if he finished 3rd, 3rd and 4th in his 3 tries in handicaps over this C&D this winter. Pivotal Rock could be in the mix but would need a big help from the tongue-tie, fitted for the first time today, to win this race imho.

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Re: Flat Racing 13th April (Leicester, Dundalk and Wolverhampton) « 8:45 » Dundalk (AW) (IRE) FRI 13 APR 2012 WWW.DUNDALKSTADIUM.COM HANDICAP (3yo+ 47-65) Winner €4,830 Standard 1m Number of runners: 14 CHEVANNAH 2 pts to win @ 12/1 bog (Bet365) This is a tough race with 14 runners but the market has gone all towards Samollie who is the strong favourite of the race after he has shown improved form at this venue on his three most recent starts, winning off 3lb out of the handicap when coming from off the pace to open his account over 7f here in February and finishing second in his last two starts finding first Patrimonium and last time out the unexposed Queenscliff too good. No doubt he deserves to be a favourite but I don't understand why he should be priced at 7/2 and my selection at 12/1 since Chevannah (former winner at 2 at Ripon and rated 72 last year) made a very good impression on her Irish debut over this C&D in January finishing second behind the very well handicapped Kedleston (who has gone up 22lb following his next win) and beating Samollie carrying 13lb higher and with the booking of the 7lb claimer Doyle today the 3yo filly trained by John Joseph Murphy will face the Garvan Donnelly-trained colt off 9lb better terms. Chevannah has had only one more race after that nice Irish debut and that was 4 weeks ago here at Dundalk over 7f where she shaped as the trip was too short finishing 5th in a race easily won by another well handicapped horse (Naoise). She's been dropped 6lb since that effort and off 62 she has to have a big chance here. No problem with the wide draw since she's a held-up horse but of course for that reason she will need a bit of luck in running something we can be ready to face at this price. Many other runners with decent chances such as the former C&D winners Beart and Fleeting Moment but both were soundy beaten off their revised marks and these are usually races made for less exposed horses such as my selection hopefully.