Grandmaster Flash winning under the lights at Dundalk© Photo Healy Racing
Joseph O’Brien was the leading trainer at Dundalk last year with 26 winners and he looks the man to follow again this afternoon with a strong team heading up from his Piltown base for an eight-race card beginning at 1.40pm.
O’Brien has made a bright start with three winners already on the polytrack this year including a double last Friday with First Blood and White Marlin, and he’s doubly represented by Grandmaster Flash and Dances With Stars in the featured Find Us On Facebook @dundalkstadium Handicap (3.20).
The two-mile event has attracted ten runners with topweight Grandmaster Flash bidding to add to three previous course wins, while the more lightly-raced Dances With Stars also won a maiden here over a mile and a half last November. Hypernova looks set to go off favourite in the opening DundalkStadium.com Rated Race with Jake Coen claiming a valuable 7lb, while O’Brien’s Thunor has also attracted support in the Dundalk Stadium Maiden (2.15).
The gelded son of Night Of Thunder out of the speedy Blithe Spirit cost 100,000 guineas as a yearling and champion apprentice Dylan Browne McMonagle is on board for his debut.
Johnny Feane ’s Ano Syra runner-up to the O’Brien-trained National Gallery over course and distance a fortnight ago, looks the chief threat to Thunor.
Feane was on the mark with Liquid Luck here just 12 days ago and the Bated Breath gelding now steps up to a mile in the Book Online At DundalkStadium.com Handicap (5.20).
Michael Halford also has a good record at Dundalk and Elzaamsan is another with strong claims in the Irishinjuredjockeys.com Maiden (3.50).
He was just denied by White Marlin over this mile and a half before Christmas and should confirm places with Seattle Creek
