Horse Racing Tips: McCourt's Lord Talbot can surprise again in 116/1 Dundalk double

• Bright Start worth chancing with stamina for new trip

• Lord Talbot can improve again for second run in a handicap

• Alan Dudman has an each-way double with three and four places at 116/1117.00

• Watch Alan Shearer vs Rachael Blackmore in a very special quiz here!

Dundalk - 18:15: Back Bright Start @ 12/113.00

We've got a decent price on Bright Start in the 18:15 at Dundalk over 2m and while not an obvious one on recent form figures, there was something to work with on his latest run at the track.

That came over 1m4f in a race where it paid to be up with the speed, and Bright Start, who was held up in rear, fared best of the runners coming from out the back and there's hope the step up in distance to 2m will draw out some improvement again as he ran the quickest sectional at the penultimate furlong in the field and also a 12th furlong sectional quicker than the winner.

It is an unknown in terms of the stamina but in terms of a handicap mark, he's off 52 and in 2022 when trained by Saeed bin Suroor he was running from 95.

An inside draw will help but I wouldn't expect anything less than another hold-up ride and the price is factored in with the stamina doubt.

Dundalk - 18:45: Back Lord Talbot @ 8/19.00

Lord Talbot can boast some winning form and scored last time out, and while only winning off 49, he won easily and is one to follow again for a back-up success at 8/19.00.

He has drifted too from 13/27.50, and that's a dangerous price for an unexposed three-year-old.

On face value it was quite a bizarre race last time over 1m2f as Lord Talbot, who had been massive odds previously in his handful of starts, was still allowed to go off at 33/134.00 and from a wide draw (out in 11) got right up with the early pace.

The selection then, visually anyway, ran free and bolted away from the field but didn't stop and won by over 2L.

It could have been a case of the other jockeys in the field ignoring the outsider, but it was a fairly efficient run on the clock with a finishing speed of 105%, so I am hoping that was no fluke.

He certainly looked a horse with some physical presence and he's drawn well for a step up to 1m4f. Unexposed handicapping, he might improve again.

Now read Alan Dudman's antepost preview for the King George on Boxing Day here!