SYD AND ALDO SET TO LIGHT UP DUNDALK AGAIN

Ian Fortune

The battle for a place in the final of the Bar One Racing Irish Sprint Cup will light up Dundalk this evening.

The absence of Trinity Junior from the second heat comes as a real blow but eleven of the fastest greyhounds in training should still ensure some outstanding action.

SUPER SYD READY TO GO FAST

The opening semi-final is absolutely stacked with quality.

Elite Kursk remains unbeaten in the classic, showing huge improvement with each outing. He has obvious claims, as does the very talented Romeo Taylor but Broadstrand Syd remains the one to beat despite suffering his first defeat over two bends last weekend. 

In defeat, the Johnny Linehan trained star displayed awesome pace and, should he start on terms, he is likely to have too much ammunition for his rivals. The track record holder is capable of going unbelievably fast and can quickly stamp his class on this contest.

Elite Kursk is nominated as the main danger, although he will need to come away racing, while Romeo Taylor is also more than capable of playing a big part. Of the remainder, Meenagh Monito ran hard to win last week and can’t be completely dismissed although this is a very different test.

On the Nose and Blacknose Clover complete a talented line-up but both will need a little luck to worry the judge here.

ALDO SET TO WIN AGAIN

Defending champion Carrick Aldo is clearly the one to beat in the second heat.

As he did twelve months ago, the brindled son of Droopys Sydney has improved through the competition, culminating in a superb 20.84 return last week.

A repeat of that form would almost certainly be good enough, although Road Exile can’t be ignored. He can also boast a 20.84 return, albeit it came in last year’s renewal. He remains a top-class tracker but needs to find his trapping boots.       

Ballymac Finn is obviously very classy and the 2022 Derby runner-up will benefit from the vacant box on his immediate inside. There is no doubt he needs to be at his very best but he continues to run at a high level.

Dynamic Force is one for the future. He has shown all sorts of pace in recent outings but is another in need of a flying start to upset the favourite. That leaves just Laughil Bruce. He is a big finisher but this is perhaps a step too far.

Carrick Aldo remains the one to beat and is chosen to go one step closer to defending his crown. Road Exile can emerge as the main danger.