Dundalk Wednesday Tips: Dreal Deal to follow up easy win

• Hoping to get off to a flyer in the opener

• Siding with an unexposed maiden

• Dreal Deal tough to beat under a penalty

Dundalk stages its final meeting of 2022 on Wednesday and the card provides us with one last chance to make some profit before Christmas, profit that will prove really handy with the feast of racing we can expect over the festive period.

The opening 5f handicap at 16:15 has attracted a full field but it isn't quite so competitive as the numbers suggest and I'll be siding with top weight No Speed Limit to record his first win in just over a year.

Patrick McKenna's gelding had been running consistently well around here before turning in a below-par effort last time, a run I'm prepared to forgive as it came following just a two-day turnaround.

There's also the added bonus of the excellent Wayne Lordan taking back over in the saddle from 7lb claimer Ross Whearty.

Lordan has been in the plate on No Speed Limit for all his good runs of late and he should make a tangible difference.

Zig Zag Zyggy looks sure to be popular following his good runner-up finish here a couple of weeks ago but he faces no easy task from a wide draw and I'm happy to side with No Speed Limit over this one.

Pahlavi to strike for new yard

Joseph O'Brien's Dancing Tango will likely attract plenty of support in the following 1m 4f maiden (16:45) but she's had plenty of chances and I'm going to take her on with Pahlavi, who makes his debut for the John Joseph Hanlon stable.

This son of Palavicini showed a bit in bumpers for Jessica Harrington but fared better when switched to this code in the summer, finishing placed in a couple of maidens that have proven reasonably strong form.

His first effort when third to Aidan O'Brien's Gulliver's Travels was the better effort of the two, where Pahlavi stuck on late having been very slowly away.

He couldn't quit replicate the run when second to Zaynudin last time but that winner is potentially useful and time may tell that he had his hands full trying to get anywhere near that one.

Reginalds Tower and Engagement Ring are others to consider in what is an interesting race but if Pahlavi is able to build on those two runs in the summer for his new yard he'll take plenty of pegging back.

Easy winner to follow up

Dreal Deal and his trainer Ronan McNally have been in the news for all the wrong reason lately but there's no denying that this horse is a talent on his day and he looks up to defying a 7lb penalty in the 1m 4f handicap at 17:15.

The son of Arvico fairly bolted up in a 2m handicap here last week, taking over early in the straight and coming home three and a half lengths clear of Tronador.

Dreal Deal will likely face a hike in the weights for that easy win, so it's no surprise connections have opted to pitch him in here before he's reassessed, and he looks sure to take all the beating once again.

It just remains for me to wish you and your families a very merry Christmas, and I'll be back to preview the best of the Irish jumping action in these pages over the festive period.