3:00 Dundalk
This 17-runner apprentice maiden at Dundalk over 7f on standard ground features a mix of lightly raced types, debutants and modest performers seeking to break their duck. The KTB Fit ratings are tightly bunched at the top, with She's Too Kool and Strike De Vega sharing the highest mark of 57, followed closely by Punica Granatum, Trovao Dourado and Trek Home. Overall the numbers suggest a race where experience at the trip and the ability to handle an uncontested lead will be key, though several runners remain unproven on the surface.
How the race shapes up
The pace shape points to a lone leader with high confidence, meaning one horse is likely to secure an uncontested lead that could prove hard for closers to reel in on this sharp track. Punica Granatum is the obvious candidate to take up the running from a handy draw in stall six given her front-running style, while most of the field are held-up types who will need to produce their effort late. The key question is whether any prominent runner can sustain the advantage or if the late closers, including the selection, can bridge the gap in the straight.
The KTB Fit ranking
- 1She's Too Kool KTB Selection57/100She's Too Kool is a fair maiden who has shown consistent placed form at this trip but has weakened quickly on both starts this year.
- 2Strike De Vega57/100Lightly raced with just two runs this year and a modest 06 sequence that offers little to go on.
- 3Punica Granatum56/100Fair performer who has shown consistent placed form at this trip without managing to get her head in front.
- 4Trovao Dourado56/100Lightly raced with just two starts and modest recent form of 50.
- 5Trek Home51/100Trek Home has shown consistent fair form, finishing no worse than third in five runs and placing when tried over today's 7f trip.
- 6Hurleys Hill50/100Hurleys Hill is a debutant with no racecourse form to go on.
- 7Brigids Charm49/100Brigids Charm is a newcomer with no racecourse experience.
- 8Aghadrum Boy49/100Aghadrum Boy showed fair pace when finishing fourth on his only start over a mile.
- 9Carry The Dream47/100This 3-year-old showed little on debut over 1m and now drops back in trip with first-time headgear.
- 10Emiza46/100Emiza showed fair pace on debut when fifth over a mile here last month but now drops back to 7f for the first time.
- 11Little Sure Shot46/100Fair performer who has shown consistent placed form at this trip, finishing third on his most recent start over course and distance.
- 12Galavanting45/100Galavanting is a newcomer from the Henry De Bromhead yard who has not raced yet.
- 13Anaverna44/100Anaverna has only one career run behind her and steps back from 1m2½f to an untried 7f trip today, so she is essentially an unknown quantity.
- 14Eldorado Glory42/100Eldorado Glory is a newcomer with no racecourse experience.
- 15My Shayla42/100My Shayla showed only modest form when finishing sixth on debut over 1m.
- 16Steppinoncats41/100Steppinoncats is a newcomer with no racecourse experience so far.
- 17Call The Cavalry35/100Modest performer who has shown fair placed form at this track over shorter trips.
The contenders
She's Too Kool KTB Fit 57/100
She's Too Kool is a fair maiden who has shown consistent placed form at this trip. She weakened quickly on both starts this year, and the wide draw in stall 17 is far from ideal on a sharp track like Dundalk. Trainer Claire O'Connell has a modest 2% strike rate here from 45 runs while jockey Adam Browne-Souza brings a solid 12% record from his 42 rides at the venue. Usually held up and producing her effort late, she will need to overcome both the draw and lack of experience on standard ground if she is to capitalise on her placed efforts at the trip.
Strike De Vega KTB Fit 57/100
Strike De Vega is lightly raced with just two runs this year and a modest 06 sequence that offers little to go on. The drop back from 1m2f to 7f asks a fresh question while the wide draw in stall 13 is far from ideal at this track. Trainer A Oliver holds a solid 13% strike rate here from a big sample of 751 runs while the jockey has an excellent 19% from her 16 rides. Usually held up, he will be coming from off the pace in a race where the leader may not come back, leaving him with plenty to do.
Punica Granatum KTB Fit 56/100
Punica Granatum is a fair performer who has shown consistent placed form at this trip without managing to get her head in front. She has a solid record at Dundalk and the yard's 8% strike rate from 66 runs here is respectable given the numbers involved. Jockey Keithen Kennedy holds an 11% strike rate from 149 rides at the track, and with a trainer-jockey combination of 19/201 (9%) and A/E 0.88 she brings some of the stronger placed form. Tending to make the running or race on the pace, she is ideally placed to take advantage of the lone-leader shape from her draw in stall six, though she remains unproven on standard ground.
Trovao Dourado KTB Fit 56/100
Trovao Dourado is lightly raced with just two starts and modest recent form of 50. He drops back from 1m1f to an untried 7f trip today which asks a fresh question. Trainer Ciaran Murphy has a solid 12% strike rate at Dundalk from 194 runs while the jockey is operating at 10% from 146 rides here, and their combination reads 4/38 (11%) with A/E 1.17. Typically settling in midfield, he will need to find improvement on what he has shown so far if he is to feature, especially as he remains unproven on the surface.
Trek Home KTB Fit 51/100
Trek Home has shown consistent fair form, finishing no worse than third in five runs and placing when tried over today's 7f trip. The step up from 6f asks a fresh question but the pedigree and prior placing suggest it should cope. Trainer Daniel James Murphy holds a solid 15% strike rate at Dundalk from 153 runs yet jockey Terry Casey is still seeking his first winner from 14 rides here, with their record reading 1/19 (5%) and A/E 0.47. Usually held up and producing his effort late with high confidence, he will be aiming to come from off the pace but must overcome a wide draw in stall 16.
The rest of the field
Hurleys HillKTB Fit 50/100
Hurleys Hill is a debutant with no racecourse form to go on. The yard has a modest 11% strike-rate at Dundalk from 44 runs while the claiming apprentice has a solid 15% record from 61 rides here, making this very much an unknown quantity on its first start.
Brigids CharmKTB Fit 49/100
Brigids Charm is a newcomer with no racecourse experience. The pedigree and sales background offer the only clues here, though the low data confidence means any conclusions remain tentative. Mark Fahey has an 11% strike rate from 203 runs at Dundalk while Reese Holohan shows a 14% strike rate from 72 rides at the track.
Aghadrum BoyKTB Fit 49/100
Aghadrum Boy showed fair pace when finishing fourth on his only start over a mile. He now drops back to 7f for the first time which asks a fresh question. The trainer holds a solid 11% strike rate at Dundalk from a big sample while the jockey is operating at 7% here.
Carry The DreamKTB Fit 47/100
Carry The Dream showed little on debut over 1m and now drops back in trip with first-time headgear. The yard has a 14% strike rate at Dundalk from seven runs. With just one run on the board and a low data confidence, this is very much unknown territory.
EmizaKTB Fit 46/100
Emiza showed fair pace on debut when fifth over a mile here last month but now drops back to 7f for the first time. The trip is an unknown and first-time headgear is also thrown in. Trainer at Dundalk has a 14% strike rate from 233 runs while jockey Paddy Harnett is operating at 7% from 319 rides here.
Little Sure ShotKTB Fit 46/100
Little Sure Shot is a fair performer who has shown consistent placed form at this trip, finishing third on his most recent start over course and distance. Drawn in stall one which should help him get a good position early. First-time headgear is now applied while both trainer and jockey have modest strike rates at Dundalk.
GalavantingKTB Fit 45/100
Galavanting is a newcomer from the Henry De Bromhead yard who has not raced yet. The trainer holds a 9% strike rate from 317 runs at Dundalk while jockey Conor Cusack is 7% from 28 rides here. With low data confidence any view rests entirely on the sales and pedigree background which is not supplied here.
AnavernaKTB Fit 44/100
Anaverna has only one career run behind her and steps back from 1m2½f to an untried 7f trip today, so she is essentially an unknown quantity. The first-time headgear is an interesting addition given the drop in distance. With such a small sample and the trainer's record at Dundalk also too limited to judge, this lightly-raced filly must be treated with real caution.
Eldorado GloryKTB Fit 42/100
Eldorado Glory is a newcomer with no racecourse experience. The trainer has a solid 15% strike rate from 262 runs at Dundalk. The 7lb claimer has yet to score from 17 rides at the track.
My ShaylaKTB Fit 42/100
My Shayla showed only modest form when finishing sixth on debut over 1m. She now drops back to an untried 7f trip which asks a fresh question of her. The trainer has a solid 10% strike rate at Dundalk from a big sample but the jockey is 0-8 at the track.
SteppinoncatsKTB Fit 41/100
Steppinoncats is a newcomer with no racecourse experience so far. The trainer has only had two runners at Dundalk which is too small a sample to judge while the jockey has a modest 6% strike rate from 250 rides here. With low data confidence the assessment rests mainly on pedigree and sales background.
Call The CavalryKTB Fit 35/100
Call The Cavalry is a modest performer who has shown fair placed form at this track over shorter trips. He steps up to 7f for the first time today having last run over 5f, which asks a fresh question of him. Trainer has a 7% strike rate from 97 runs at Dundalk while the jockey has only three rides here which is too small a sample to judge.
KTB verdict
She's Too Kool is the KTB Selection. She brings the highest Fit rating alongside consistent placed form at this trip, and while the wide draw and trainer's modest record at the venue are negatives, her ability to produce a late effort fits the shape if the leader does come back. Punica Granatum looks the main danger as the likely lone leader with a kind draw and solid placed efforts at the trip, while Trek Home's consistency and prior placing over 7f also demand respect. Strike De Vega and Trovao Dourado add further depth to what looks a competitive maiden.
KTB Selection She's Too Kool
This is the narrative read of the 3:00 Dundalk. For the live card — runner-by-runner stats, the full Fit Score breakdown and current odds — see the Dundalk racecard. New here? How KTB works explains the Fit Score and why we publish both.
Questions about this race
Which horse is likely to take the uncontested lead?
Punica Granatum, as the only front-runner in the field with a favourable draw in stall six.
Why is the wide draw in stall 17 a concern for the selection?
Dundalk is a sharp track where stall 17 is far from ideal, particularly for a horse usually held up.
How many runners in the field have previous placed form at this 7f trip?
She's Too Kool, Punica Granatum, Trek Home and Little Sure Shot have all shown placed form at today's trip.
Which trainer has the strongest strike rate at Dundalk among those with significant runners?
Daniel James Murphy with a 15% strike rate from 153 runs.
What is the main unknown for several of the leading contenders?
All of the top five are unproven on standard ground, as none have previous runs on the surface.
18+. Analysis and entertainment only — no guarantee of profit. KTB race previews are published for interest and are not betting advice. Only ever stake what you can comfortably afford to lose, and set your own limits. Free, confidential help: the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 (GamCare.org.uk); in Ireland, the GamblingCare.ie helpline on 1800 936 725. Self-exclude at any time via GAMSTOP.
About the A/E figures in this preview. They are the data supplier’s: the winners a trainer or jockey had, divided by the winners the starting prices implied, over the runs in that record. Above 1.0 means more wins than the prices suggested. It is not KTB’s fair A/E, which allows for the bookmakers’ margin and the favourite–longshot bias, and the two are not comparable.
More from Kickthebookies