Irish racing best bets on Friday
Irish horse racing action continues and we’ve picked out our Irish racing best bets on Friday on the flat and over the sticks.
Another round of Irish horse racing fixtures goes to post with racing both on the flat and over the sticks for punters to puzzle over and 15 races in all will go to post throughout the day.
The day’s afternoon racing action sees a fixture taking place over the sticks at Downpatrick, while on the all-weather in the evening there is racing on the polytrack at Dundalk. Our tipping team have looked over the day’s racing in Ireland to pick out their Irish racing best bets on Friday at both meetings.
IRISH RACING BEST BETS ON FRIDAY – TIPS FOR DOWNPATRICK & DUNDALK
2:00 Downpatrick – Franco Hughes Bookmaker Handicap Hurdle (4yo+ 80-109) 2m3f
AMLAD has some fair form over hurdles and Andrew McNamara’s charge arrives here having won on his last outing at Wexford two weeks ago.
The Lope De Vega gelding is a former winner on the flat and he showed decent form earlier in the campaign to finish in the frame in starts at Clonmel and Limerick, the latter behind the useful The Great White and he stepped up on his reappearance to run out a two lengths’ winner over Pretty Little Liar latest.
This will be a shade tougher upped in trip with 5lbs more on his back, but the seven-year old remains capable of better and the extra distance will be no issue so he can make his presence felt again.
3:45 Downpatrick – Irish Stallion Farms EBF Beginners Chase (4yo+) 2m2f
SHIROCCOVILLE didn’t show much over hurdles for Peter Croke but found immediate improvement switched to Emmet Mullins where she was equipped with a first-time hood and ran out a three lengths’ winner over Trouble And Strife at Kilbeggan last month.
The Shirocco mare won readily that day and now switching to chasing there may be better to come with the headgear retained and she could be the type to thrive in this sphere for her shrewd yard.
This doesn’t look the strongest of races in which to make her chase debut so on the back of that hurdles win she can make her presence felt here with improvement anticipated.
Irish racing best bets on Friday at Downpatrick and Dundalk.
5:45 Dundalk – Crowne Plaza Hotel Dundalk Handicap (3yo+ 45-70) 7f
LINUS LARRABEE can often be quirky but the Slade Power gelding is capable of winning races when at his best as he showed when going in over course and distance last November and Ed Lynam’s charge can get back on the scoresheet having posted a near-miss last time.
Better for her reappearance following almost eight months off at the Curragh in August he found only Tresorier too strong by a head in his latest outing where he wore a tongue-tie for the first time in addition to his regular blinkers and he was only run down on the post in a blanket finish.
He’s only up 1lb for that victory and while he’s not ideally drawn in stall 10 he remains fairly weighted on the best of his form and should remain competitive.
7:45 Dundalk – Join Us On Instagram @dundalk_stadium Race (3yo+) 1m4f
BENAUD could be worth chancing dropping back in grade having contested in Group company the last twice and Joseph O’Brien’s charge could make his presence felt here if handling polytrack.
A dual-winner either side of seven months off the track the Australia gelding finished fourth to Kemari in the Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot where he was only beaten around four lengths; but he disappointed next time in the Group Three Ballyroan Stakes last month although that run did come against Tarnawa and he probably fared as well as expected in that hot renewal.
He didn’t help his cause though by missing the break and he remains capable of better given he remains lightly-raced. This is certainly less taxing than either of his latest assignments and he ought to be capable of a bold showing.