DAILY RACING PREVIEW BY ANDY HOLDING
FRIDAY JANUARY 10
4.00 DUNDALK
EIGHTY EIGHT (best price 7-2) did live rather a charmed life from the front here last time out but the overall speed figure suggested he was operating at a decent level for the grade and John Feane’s gelding is taken to uphold his tremendous run of results at the Co Lough venue.
Runner-up to the over the extended 1m2f to the in-form Trishuli River previously, the six-year-old was back to have another crack at his old rival three weeks later and under a very aggressive ride, he turned around the form in no uncertain terms.
Entitled to start gasping for air inside the final furlong considering the gallop he had set; he just about had enough left to repel the late thrust of the well-backed Beauparc and with Trishuli River back in third giving the form a solid feel to it, the race from 23 days ago has to go down as one of the better ones of its type all winter.
How he gets ridden on his return visit now up an extra furlong and half remains to be seen but either way, he couldn’t arrive here in better shape and a chance is taken he proves equally effective.
EIGHTY EIGHT – 1-point win@7-2
6.30 DUNDALK
BEAUTY BELLA (NAP) (best price 7-2) did really in the circumstances to finish fourth here last time out and now dropping back to a trip that last saw her victorious just under a year ago, Ado McGuinness’ new acquisition looks primed to put up a bold bid off top weight.
Having her first start from her current base after treading water with John McConnell for a while, the daughter of Buratino had several things count against her 23 days ago, namely a bad draw that ultimately had her fully 20 lengths off the front-running Eighty Eight halfway down the back straight.
To her great credit, however, she managed to chip away at that lost deficit from the home turn onwards and by the time she had hit the line, she was right on top of the main players.
Prominently ridden when a smooth winner of a fillies’ maiden the last time she ran over a mile here, tonight’s better draw and hopefully decent break should provide her with the ideal springboard to success.
BEAUTY BELLA – 1-point win@7-2