Alan is backing the Ado McGuinness-trained Dream Today to follow up his Dundalk victory 12 months ago, and he's in the double with in-form Collective Power...
-
Betfair Sportsbook giving customers a completely free £2 bet for racing multis
-
Dream Today going for a repeat victory
-
Eddie Lynam has been showing a good profit this season
-
Tonight's two Dundalk selections pay out 20/1 in a Sportsbook multiple for Friday
-
-
McGuinness has two good chances in best race of the night
Back Dream Today @ 6.511/2 in the 19:30 at Dundalk
Eight runners headline the best race of the night at 19:30, and Rough Diamond was in as the 6/4 favourite nice and early on the Sportsbook this morning from a first show of 11/8 yesterday and that's understandable with a near 4L victory over Dream Today, who is in opposition again at a much bigger price.
It's quite an ask to make up those lengths and Rough Diamond is unexposed on the surface with just two starts, so there's a lot more to come from him and his profile, but he's up 7lb to 95 and top weight, and with Cian MacRedmond able to claim 5lb on Dream Today, he can certainly get closer. And often this comes to price, and the 13/8 doesn't exactly give much room to play with.
The selection conceded first run last time, but he did win this race 12 months ago with MacRedmond on board and was winning off a mark of 92, and staggeringly he has been dropped 2lb since his latest run and gets a 9lb swing today re-opposing.
His overall record 2-11 on the AW is consistent and a good fast pace at 6f to aim at really suits him. McGuinness sends out a lot of runners at the track and heads into tonight with 811 horses in five years, and quite a few from his yard drift in the betting, which never puts me off. Money could come for his Hodd's Girl who was a little unlucky last time, but she started out the season rated 57, and Dream Today is a classier horse.
With the eight runners, he is a fair enough price for an each-way bet.
Collective Power to give Fast Eddie another winner
Back Collective Power @ 3.259/4 in the 20:00 Dundalk
Some familiar names for the following 6f Handicap at 20:00 and with the maximum field of 14 there might be a decent price that pops up in a place, but the likes of Gobi Star who won a Claimer last time looks beatable at 6s, while Samrogue was backed this morning from 8s but he finished stone last over CD with his most recent run.
Inishmot Prince is in form and opened up on the Sportsbook at 7/2 but I prefer Collective Power's claims at a shorter price and he can maintain the form for his trainer "Fast Eddie" Lynam - who is 14-63 at Dundalk this season with a 22% strike-rate and a profit from all of his runners of +25.33.
The 4yo holds his form well nudging up to a mark of 70, and this is very much his class bracket.
His wins have all come at 5f, but he has shown 6f is well within reach with a good second last month where they went a strong pace and he travelled with style as they went down into the straight from the cutaway. However, the winner Dandyville looked to have received the better ride that night, as the horse moved near side much earlier than Collective Power, and Dundalk seems to be favouring those moving towards the stands' side.
Collective Power got going too late in that race and it's virtually impossible to make up ground inside the final 1f. He did run an 11.04 fifth furlong, which was his quickest.
I am hoping he justifies his 9/4 price, and he's a little shorter than Inishmot Prince who was floating around 7/2 and 4/1 very early on Friday morning and neither are each-way prices.