Horse Racing Tips: Reyenzi the star pick for Murtagh in Curragh 25/1 double

• Promising Johnny Murtagh colt looks ready for the step up in class

• Return to sprinting to work for Habitat Premier Handicap selection

• Alan Dudman's two tips for Friday in Ireland pays 25/126.00 on the Sportsbook for a double

Curragh - 18:55: Back Reyenzi @ 10/34.33

The best of the action comes from across the sea at the Curragh on Friday evening and Johnny Murtagh's promising young Saxon Warrior colt Reyenzi is one to look forward to stepping up in class for the Group 3 Gallinule Stakes.

Murtagh will know where he is after Friday in terms of good quality 1m2f-1m4f races for the season and there's every reason to feel a pang of optimism following his very impressive Maiden success last month at Navan.

There was so much to like about the win - and an easy thing to say after routing the field by five lengths, but it was the way he had clearly learned from his experience and sole start as a juvenile at Naas, to knowing more, and the way he got the gap on the inside and rattled through was impressive.

It was a big field too (20) and he overcame a wide draw to boot in 12 to race in a more clued-up fashion than last year, and his final three furlongs in terms of times backs up the visual impression as to how strong he was in the finish. I don't particularly like the phrase "he hits the line hard", which means as much as a bowler "bowling with a heavy ball" in cricket, but on the data per furlong, he ran 13.53 in soft conditions against the runner-up who clocked 14.25 at the 1m2f mark.

The Gallinule has been the preserve of Aidan O'Brien - who is the "Magistar Ludis" in this contest with 18 victories since Johan Cruyff back in 1997, and Shackleton was clear in the betting last night on the Sportsbook at 6/42.50 and has plenty of experience. Alas, it's also his first run of the season but Ryan Moore prefers him to Thrice.

The 10/34.33 for Reyenzi is too tempting here against Shackleton at the punitive odds, and the selection got the 1m2f standing on his head last time having raced at 7f as a two-year-old.

It's a race to look forward to for sure.

Curragh - 19:25: Back Ohailbhic 5/16.00

The 19:25 Habitat Premier Handicap over 6f offers the chance of five places on the Sportsbook with the 16 runners to ponder over, and Ohailbhic's return to sprinting makes him the bet here at 5/16.00, although at those odds, he isn't really an each-way price for me so we go win-only, especially with the first leg at a shorter price.

He tried 1m on his final run of 2024, and looked a non-stayer in last position at the Curragh, and the fact his final run of 2024 came in August suggested something perhaps wasn't right.

A return at Cork this season was much more like it over 7f, a race that saw him travel well and having been short of room 2f out, never looked likely to catch them in front, but the signs were encouraging.

I am more interested in him now dropping to sprinting again, as he ran a fine race in third at Naas over 6f last summer from a mark of 84 and did well to finish as close as he did as he was slowly away with an awkward break and finished best of those off the pace (the winner made all).

The Cork outing was his first in 269 days so you would expect improvement and the assessor has given him a massive chance off 77 here.

April winners at BSP:

Seo Linn 3.3
Push The Button (place) 4.53
Happygolucky (place) 2.31
Iroko (place) 2.87
Bubble Gum 2.81
Billy McGarry 6.08
Moon Over Miami 3.05
Persica 4.19
City Of Delight 3.3,
Ribee (place) 2.56
Cheeky Wink 7.0
Lombron (place) 3.35
Love Billy Boy 6.87
Adamantly Chosen (place) 4.12

May winners at BSP:

Falakeyah 2.66
Cinderella's Dream 2.58
Seraphim Angel (place) 2.79
Sea Invasion 3.42
Jabbar (place) 2.72
La Trinidad 6.35 (place)
Carmers 2.77
Glamorous Breeze 7.92

Now read more tips and previews for Friday's racing here!