Andy Stephens' top tips for Friday: Crack on with Caronda at 7-1

The British Horseracing Authority cops plenty of flak but their swift and decisive action after the outbreak of equine flu should be applauded.

Some will no doubt consider a six-day shutdown an extreme measure but just imagine if racing’s rulers had carried on regardless and the disease had spread rapidly through the horse population. The sport would be at a standstill for months.

Racing is not yet out of the woods – the next three days are going to be pivotal as thousands of tests are examined – but hopefully by the end of the weekend there will be positive news to relay.

I’ve been left with Dundalk to chew over on the tips front and the good news is that there looks some solid propositions. The bad news is that none are fancy prices, so I’ll be having doubles, trebles and the like.

Joseph O’Brien fields a strong team at Dundalk on Friday and his Colfer Me, who was always in command when making all over a mile her last time, is fancied to boss this under Donnacha O’Brien.

Colfer Me has nothing to fear from Numerian, who chased him home but is only 1lb better off, on that running and the drop back to seven furlongs is no big issue.

The unexposed Sky Seven looks the main danger but his form has a few holes in. Colfer me's odds shrunk from 6-4 to Evens on Thursday night and it could be similar one-way traffic in the race.

Looked one to follow when winning on his debut over course and distance in December and not disgraced when finding one too good back here last time dropped to seven furlongs.

The return to a mile will suit him and a mark of 81 probably underestimates him. He was trying to give his conqueror 4lb last time and that horse has since run well off a rating of 87, and The Game Of Life.

Gougane Barra will be seeking to complete a hat-trick of wins at the track but he’s gone up an aggregate of 16lb for those victories and may be vulnerable against a rival of The Game Of Life’s potential.

The early 2-1 offered about Rashaan quickly disappeared and I’m not surprised because he should outclass this lot.

You have to forgive him refusing to race in a Grade One chase last time but perhaps he had glimpsed the opposition beforehand because, for all he’s useful in that sphere, he was up against it versus the likes of Delta Work and Le Richebourg.

I’d happy to forgive him that lapse back on the Flat and, on these terms, he has excellent prospects of winning this race for a second time. He won the 2017 renewal on his only previous stat at Dundalk.

Changed hands for just 800 euros as a yearling and it is fair to say not much was expected on her first three starts in maidens.

Her Betfair SPs were 1000, 856 and, slightly better fancied last time, 579. Not surprisingly, perhaps, she achieved little but she offered plenty more when switched to handicap company over course and distance last time and ridden more positively.

Caronda traded odds-on in-running before having to settle for a close third. A repeat of that effort may suffice and Emma Louise Doyle, who rode her last time, is reunited.