Dundalk tips: St Cianans Fire can burn off rivals
TRACK SPECIALIST: St Cianans Fire will be looking to complete a Dundalk hat-trick on Wednesday. Picture: Healy Racing
The consistent St Cianans Fire might continue on his winning ways in Wednesday’s Dundalk finale, the DundalkStadium.com Handicap.
Following Monday’s disruption, due to freezing fog, there are no worries ahead of this seven-race card. And this John McConnell-trained Elzaam gelding, bidding for a fourth win in his last five starts, should be tough to beat.
The four-year-old started his winning run when scoring, off 52, at Punchestown in mid-September but failed to follow up at Down Royal two weeks later.
But St Cianans Fire struck for the first time on the polytrack early last month, beating Morning Dew, off a mark of 56.
He built on that when winning again, off a 5lb higher mark, at the expense of in-form previous scorer Je T’ai Porte two weeks later.
Those two recent wins were achieved over Wednesday’s trip, almost 11 furlongs, and, despite a further 6lb rise, Conor Hoban’s mount should take plenty of beating as he bids for a fourth win of 2022.
Although readily brushed aside by exciting newcomer Make Us Proud on her Irish debut here last week, Joseph O’Brien’s filly Banned might go one better in the Dundalk Stadium Gift Vouchers Maiden.
Formerly with Hughie Morrison in England and placed twice in six outings for that yard, this Ulysses filly was put up 1lb for her five-length second last week, to a rating of 75, and, entitled to take a step forward with that run under her belt, is marginally preferred to John McConnell’s 73-rated Rockview Consort, beaten a half-length by Express Way last time.
Earlier, Michael O’Callaghan’s 87-rated King Of Scotia sets a decent standard in the seven-furlong Irish Stallion Farms ERBF 2-Y-0 Maiden.
This fellow has been gelded since being tried in Group 3 company last time, in the Killavullan at Leopardstown where he finished seventh behind Cairo.
Prior to that leap into stakes company, King Of Scotia had filled the runner-up berth in a couple of maidens, chasing home the subsequent French Group 3 scorer Continuous at the Curragh on debut before coming off second best against Brighter London in a course and distance maiden in early October.
The selection’s form and rating should make him very tough to beat in a winter maiden of this sort. And, if the gelding operation brings about improvement, he should deliver.
The one-mile colts maiden, lost on Monday’s card, will open proceedings. And Michael Halford’s Dabirann, expected to appreciate the step-up in trip following his fourth to the impressive White Birch last time, makes plenty of appeal.
1.40 Dabirann
2.15 Ghumama
2.45 Coolcalmncollected
3.15 King Of Scotia
3.45 Ellabella
4.15.Zonik
4.45 Banned (NB)
5.15 St Cianans Fire (Nap)
1.40 Morse
2.15 No Trouble
2.45 Not Too Real Bad
3.15 Sea Spray
3.45 Kudbegood
4.15 Ta Na La
4.45 Rockview Consort
5.15 Newgirlintown
