Dundalk Friday Tips: Progressive Elzaam Blue to remain unbeaten

It's been a long winter, but with the spring-like weather we've been experiencing this week, there's a real sense of optimism as the flat turf season gets underway this weekend in the UK and Ireland.

Doncaster hosts its traditional Lincoln meeting on Saturday and Sunday, while Ireland stages its own equivalent at the Curragh on Saturday, with the Irish Lincolnshire the centrepiece of that meeting.

On a busy weekend in Ireland, there's also a good flat meeting at Naas on Sunday, which I'll be previewing on these pages on Saturday. However, before we get to that, we need to take our regular look at Friday's Dundalk meeting, which once again hosts some competitive action.

Dances With Stars to follow up

The 1m 4f handicap at 17:30 has some familiar names in it and I'm once again siding with Dances With Stars, who has been a regular at Dundalk throughout the winter.

Joseph O'Brien's well-bred son of Sea The Stars got just reward for some consistent placed efforts when finally coming out on top over this C&D last time, having several of these rivals behind him.

Connections had been persevering with hold-up tactics in his previous races but a switch to more positive intent last time showed Dances With Stars in a much better light, and he could be called the winner from early in the home straight.

Provided they decide to race prominently again, and given how those tactics worked so well last time it's hard to envisage a change, then Dances With Stars should take all the beating once more.

Several of the beaten runners behind him here a fortnight ago are meeting the selection on better terms, but this is a horse who's relatively low mileage and could easily take his progression on to turf this spring. I'm hopeful he'll take this contest on the way to that turf campaign.

Exciting Elzaam to continue progression

Another progressive type is the unbeaten Elzaam Blue, who lines up in the 1m handicap at 19:00.

A winner on debut here in February, Darren Bunyan's charge then followed up against some seasoned handicappers earlier this month, overcoming some unfavourable circumstances in the process.

Settled off what was only a modest pace, Elzaam Blue showed a bright turn of foot to take the lead over a furlong out and come home just under a length to the good of Adapt To Dan.

Sectionals tell us that that was a fine performance for such an inexperienced horse and it's entirely possible he could improve significantly again when getting a decent pace to run at.

Adapt To Dan is having another crack at Elzaam Blue here, and he'll have his supporters meeting his old rival on significantly better terms, but he's pretty much as exposed as they come as a well-travelled 6-y-o, while our selection still has plenty more to offer on his just his third career start.

In a field of 13, Elzaam Blue's draw in stall 9 could have been a little kinder, though I'm not expecting that to hinder him too much, and he should be able to weave his way through and get the job done once again.