Racing returns to Dundalk Stadium on Tuesday, May 26, with the first of seven races getting underway at 5:07pm.
Here’s our race-by-race preview, analysis, and selections for the evening card.
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5:07pm – 8f Optional Claimer Preview
Trainer Denis Hogan seems to hold the key with his two runners, The Liffey and Independent Expert. The Liffey holds a good chance based on adjusted weights and ratings, although history tells us that this is not a foolproof way of looking at these types of races. I’ll hope that this is an exception, although market moves should be monitored. Joseph O’Brien’s North Ocean cost 550,000 guineas as a yearling but has clearly had his issues, while connections of Albion Power, Independent Expert, Battle Borne and Land Of The Giants will all fancy their chances of getting placed at least.
Selection: The Liffey (11/8). It was 13/2 bar two overnight, with the top two in the betting, both trained by Denis Hogan, who has done well in maidens of late at Dundalk.
5.42pm – 7f Median Auction Maiden, 3yo+
This is the first of four maidens on the card, and they eye is drawn to Jamestown. He has run well on all three starts so far and was due to run in a £100,000 handicap at Haydock on Saturday only for the race to be called off.
Of the rest, Ribble Emperor and Fate’s Gambit will probably appreciate the return to Dundalk from turf, and Johnny Murtagh’s Rayzera is another to have shown plenty of promise, finishing second on each of her last two starts. Joseph O’Brien runs two, which are Kirkland Sioux, whose great-granddam is the wonderful broodmare Height Of Fashion, and Themis, who ran better at Gowran Park last time than on her debut and is a half-sister to Ka Ying Generation, who won his maiden at Dundalk before becoming a big money-spinner in Hong Kong.
Make The Tide, closely related to a Group 1 winner, could well improve substantially on her debut run.
Selection: Jamestown. He was 4/5 overnight, and his claims are there for all to see. Fate’s Gambit (10/1 overnight) might be worth taking a chance on if the favourite doesn’t run following his trip to England and back.
6.17pm – 5f Maiden, 3yo+
Cool Azul has finished second on each of his turf runs so far, while Sparky Sparky ran modestly last time but showed plenty of promise on his first two runs. He cost 260,000gns and will be trying Dundalk for the first time.
Aughlish will appreciate the return to Dundalk – her dam Ty Rock Brandy, who won at Dundalk, much preferred all-weather surfaces – while Focaccia showed plenty of promise on her Curragh debut but was then pitched unsuccessfully into Listed company.
Beach Barbie has shown some promise in two runs; there are several Dundalk winners in her pedigree, and it is a family that trainer Eddie Lineham knows extremely well. Reposado is proving consistent.
Selection: The Andy Oliver-trained Cool Azul (15/8) holds a solid chance.
6.48pm – 5f handicap, 3yo+
This will be fast-and-furious stuff. Buddy Batt has won on three of his last four visits to Dundalk, although he has a wide draw. So does Cuban Grey, who also possesses good speed. Sporting Hero arrives in good heart following his Navan win and Harry’s Hill hasn’t run at Dundalk since July 2024, when he was rated seven pounds higher than today. He has a good draw.
Billboa (the outsider of the field overnight) is well-weighted based on his 2024 form, although he has been lightly raced since winning at Dundalk in February of that year.
Jered Maddox (16/1 overnight) has won ten races at Dundalk and the handicapper hasn’t hit him hard for the latest of them so he holds his chance, and Jessica Harrington’s Real Encounter could be nicely weighted for her first run in a Dundalk handicap.
Sovereign Cry will also be running in a Dundalk handicap for the first time, similar comments applying to another Dundalk winner, All The Girls. Market confidence in Real Encounter would be of interest.
Selection: Real Encounter (5/1) seems reasonable enough.
7.18pm – 12f maiden, 3yo
Joseph O’Brien’s Diligo, who cost 200,000gns, has shown promise in each of his turf runs so far. Minella Rocket has run well on both of his runs here and is likely to appreciate the step up in trip today. Police Gazette has an interesting profile but will need to build a good bit on his debut run, while Tanzanite Diamond is a half-brother to five winners and can be expected to build on his debut run.
Yogini has an interesting profile but he seems to be Donnacha O’Brien’s second-string, while Johnny Murtagh’s Frankel filly, Believed, has shown promise on each of her starts, while Henry de Bromhead’s Cite Florale, a half-sister to a 15f French Group 3 winner and Square Necker, who won his maiden here before chasing home Constitution Hill at Southwell, has also shown good promise, and Jessica Harrington’s newcomer, Werifisteria, is closely related to both an Epsom Derby winner, Kris Kin, and three-time Cheltenham Festival Cross-Country Chase winner, Cause Of Causes!
Selection: Minella Rocket (3/1), who should appreciate today’s step up in trip.
7.48pm – 12f handicap, 4yo+, 0-60
A number of familiar faces line up in the second, and last, of the card’s handicaps, including Chopsticks and Jawhary, who will both need career-best runs to win, and Church Mountain, who has won four races at Dundalk and is rated just one pound higher than for the latest of them.
Numidia can rarely be left out of calculations in this type of race, Sarmiento Power will race in a first-time tongue-tie (he won when he wore first-time blinkers), and Eastern Wind put up his best performance for quite a while when finishing second at Leopardstown on May 15th, so arrives in good heart.
The lightly-raced Copper Craft is, of course, a potential improver and was 3/1 joint-favourite at the overnight stage.
Selection: At the overnight price of 9/2, Church Mountain gets a tentative vote
8.18pm – 1m2f110y maiden, 4yo+
Joseph O’Brien’s Kilcrea Rock is a maiden after nine runs, but he is surely a winner waiting to happen. He is rated 80. Johnny Murtagh’s Mano Chicago is rated 82 and is a maiden after seven runs, although his form is solid, certainly at this level.
Noel Meade’s Take Me, who is out a mare called Tammy Wynette, is rated 77 after showing promise in his five runs so far, and Therewillbeglory is also rated 77 after five good runs but it will be interesting to see how she copes with the step up in trip today.
Selection: Mano Chicago (15/8)
Best Bets at Dundalk
- The Liffey (5:07pm)
- Jamestown (5:42pm)
- Cool Azul (6:17pm)
- Real Encounter (6:48pm)
- Minella Rocket (7:18pm)
- Church Mountain (7:48pm)
- Mano Chicago (8:18pm)
