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Punchestown 2024
Punchestown 2024
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Dundalk preview
Dundalk
© Photo Healy Racing
The ever-popular Marshes Shopping Centre Dual Race Day at Dundalk, which features a Ladies Day element, begins at 2.35.
Greyhound racing starts later on at 7.30, with the centre-piece Marshes Dundalk International containing two dogs trained in Britain, Making Paper, an English Derby finalist, and Swift Keith.
On the equine front the Marshes Handicap tops the bill. It will be fascinating to see how the trio of three-year-olds fare out against their older rivals in this sprint.
One from the Classic generation, Ardhoomey is the pick. It is well documented that Ger Lyons' charge has had to battle issues with his wind, and it is a pity he's been impeded by this.
However, the Dark Angel gelding is still a fair sight in full flow - a very fast horse indeed, as he displayed at Navan at the end of May.
Second at Dundalk on his sole previous start on the Polytrack, over seven furlongs in the middle of May, Ardhoomey has fared well with the draw in stall two.
Colin Keane, rider of Ardhoomey, has a nice book of rides, with his other mounts, Chenega Bay (2.35), Ishebayorgrey (3.45) and Manorov (5.25) all worthy of strong consideration.
There are a couple of small field events during the session, but they are no less interesting for the lack of entries.
Firstly, the Gilmore's Mercedes-Benz Race at 4.50, sees two of the four participants sport first-time headgear, with Dermot Weld and John Oxx respectively hoping Don Camillo (visor) and Xebec (cheekpieces) can be reinvigorated. Ballydoyle's Outspoken could upstage the pair, though.
Aidan O'Brien is also among the quartet battling for honours in the last, the Bar One Racing Dual Race Day 16th August Maiden.
Blinkers replace cheekpieces on Joseph O'Brien's mount Hobart and perhaps that change can do the trick for the Galileo three-year-old. Captain Carleton could be the one to aim at here.