That Dundalk race is interesting Ron.
Personally I don't like potential Classic horses running this early in the season and both Western Australia and Van Beethoven look very exposed sorts to me.
A few people on forums I used to read thought that Van Beethoven might make up into a 2000 Guineas contender at 3YO but I felt the horse was doubtful to stay a mile and after his win in a weak renewal of the Railway Stakes he was put in his place often enough at 7F for me to rule him out as a Classic horse. His official rating of 105 is low for a Group 2 winner and after eight starts at 2YO, I cannot concur with the Racing Post that the son of Scat Daddy has "An exciting season in front of him", he is very weak at 13/2 for tonight's race.
Western Australia looked nothing special at 2YO, winning just a Gowran Park maiden. His clear best rating is based on believing that he improved about a stone in finishing third in the Racing Post Trophy race at Doncaster. He was a 50/1 shot at Donny and had been well beaten two weeks earlier behind Persian King, a run that saw his official mark dropped by 2 lbs. His mark was hoisted 7 lbs to 110 after the run behind stablemate Magna Grecia but it had looked a substandard renewal of the traditional pointer for Derby contenders the following year. Fairly weak in the market this morning, you can get 6/4 on what looks the first string by some way for the O'Brien team.
Albuquerque ran down the field in a Spring maiden that threw up several winners but he himself was not seen again until winning a late October maiden at Gowran Park. Obviously pen to improvement but he needs find 20 lbs plus to reach the level of the top rated here. Betting suggests he is not fancied today, with only the rank outsider priced up bigger than his 16/1 odds.
Barys comes here fit after a win in France. That victory represented an improvement of 10 bs on RPRs and 14 bs with the official assessor. He still has something to find on the formbook but he has won and at the trip into the bargain. He could feasibly improve again and perhaps cause a mini upset.
Playa Del Puente has been positive in the betting and he has course and distance form on his side. He is quite tight in the Ratings with Barys but at 10/3 he's a bit tight in the betting for me.
Numerian and Colfer Me are tied on Racing Post Ratings and they have defeated each other on separate occasions. Numerian is the more popular of the two in the betting today.
In summary it's probably a race where Aiden will be looking to cement Western Australia as a Kentucky Derby contender. To me, he looks a weaker candidate than the trainer has had in past and money has not come for him thus far today.
From my point of view I feel Barys is the bet each-way at 8/1. Van Beethoven may be sacrificed to set it up for the favourite and I think Playa Del Puente is too short. Hopefully Barys can make his fitness tell and can hold off Western Australia. I would be disappointed to see him fail to place here.
7.45 Dundalk Barys 8/1 Each-Way with the bare eight runners appeals.