Horse Racing Tips: Fran Berry’s top Friday night flutters at Dundalk

8mo ago

Fran Berry’s Dundalk Tips

16:00 – Brosna Town
16:30 – Lyle The Crocodile
17:00 – Current Option
17:30 – Mveve (NAP)
18:00 – Bint Majestic Roi
18:30 – Beauty Bella
19:00 – Reclaim
19:30 – Wrob And Wryan (Each-Way)

Fran’s Acca: Brosna Town, Lyle The Crocodile, Mveve & Wrob And Wryan

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16:00 – Brosna Town

A 1m 4f apprentice handicap with 11 declared gets us underway for 2025 at Dundalk. The whole card is limited to riders who have ridden less than 20 winners in the last year and apprentices.

BROSNA TOWN heads the ratings on a mark of 80 and sets the standard. He was a winner on the Turf at Fairyhouse last season and was quite highly tried after that. A good reappearance run here last month when third to Pepper Noir, should see him step forward again. Brosna Town also drops in grade for this contest which helps as many of these are stepping up in class.

16:30 – Lyle The Crocodile

The second race is a 6f apprentice handicap where Bansha Belle has yet to live up to expectations and doesn’t look too well treated off a mark of 66. Movin and Groovin isn’t getting any better but is consistent.

One that catches my eye is LYLE THE CROCODILE, who looked like a patent non-stayer when third over 7f at this track last time. He travelled well into that contest and this 6f trip can bring out the best in him now.

17:00 – Current Option

Shoot to Kill is looking for his third win in five starts and looked very good when winning last time out. Jack Kearney keeps the ride. There should be plenty of pace in this 7f contest as there are a number of front runners. The one I like is the veteran CURRENT OPTION for Aido McGuinness. He’s yet to win on this surface but is a tremendous servant for connections and a real Galway course specialist back in the day.

17:30 – Mveve (NAP)

Joseph O’Brien has his string in fine form and MVEVE (nap) looks to open her account in the 1m maiden. She’s has two tries at this venue and her last start when third to Queens Fury is good form. The step up to a mile will suit, as will the 50-day break she’s had since her last run. Mveve sets the standard under Hugh Horgan’s 5lb claim.

18:00 – Bint Majestic Roi

This 1m maiden is a tough race to work out with a lot of interlinking form. Powerful Lady was second, just ahead of Lyle the Crocodile (runs 4:30pm) last time, so a good run from him can only enhance her chance, but I’m a little worried about the step up in trip for her.

Joseph O’Brien has a couple of runners in Beautiful Affair and Denim and Diamonds and the former has a chance on her last run here when meeting interference in running. By process of elimination, I’ve landed on BINT MAJESTIC ROI as the form of her Cork run on Turf should be good enough.

She’s the highest rated of those who carry a rating into the race (74) and the fitting of first-time cheek-pieces can see her triumph.

18:30 – Beauty Bella

The first of two divisions of the 47-65 handicaps can see BEAUTY BELLA get her head in front off top weight under Jack Kearney’s 5lb claim. She was a staying on fourth to Eighty Eight over 10f last time when drawn way out wide in stall 15. That was her debut run for trainer Aido McGuinness – having left John McConnell’s yard – and the key to her could be a further drop in trip now, down to a mile. Golden Days has long threatened to deliver on some early promise, but hasn’t yet.

Stablemates Royal Tribute and Turbo Sprint have their chances for John McConnell, while Arthur Rose makes her Irish debut, having arrived from the UK.

19:00 – Reclaim

The second division of the mile handicap sees Fee Solo dropping in grade to the 47-65 band for the first time. Higher Kingdom landed a big gamble two starts ago, but can be tricky at the starting gate and often loses the race there.

Cousin Shay has changed yards recently and won on debut for Natalia Lupini two starts back. However, RECLAIM has been running well without winning and could get competitive here now, stepping up to the mile from a stall nine draw.

19:30 – Wrob And Wryan (each-way)

We end with a 10f Maiden where all 12 declared have had a run. Seven of these have a rating between 68 and 77, including Quatrain, who has proven expensive to follow but the step up in trip may help. Dermot Weld’s Sacred Oath and Johnny Murtagh’s Bloom Vega have plenty of placed form also, but have yet to win.

I will look for a little each-way value here with WROB AND WRYAN from stall 10. Andrew Lee’s runner was fifth to Aratayvo last month over a mile (the reopposing Dahab was third) and shaped well in the last furlong. The step up in trip to 1m 2f will help now and he’s a little less exposed than some of his rivals.