Andy Holding's Sunday Horse Racing Tips

FIT TO BE TIED (best price 11-4) clearly caught a tartar in the shape of Yaha Fizz at Naas last time out, but he still produced a fair speed figure in chasing home Edward Delany’s charge and today’s race offers a more realistic challenge with regards to his abilities at this stage of his career. Prior to that decent performance on the clock at the Co Kildare venue, the son of Oscar had also run well in big-field, competitive maiden hurdles at Naas and Navan respectively and even though he’s one of the least experienced in today’s line-up, he’s easily the one with the most upside.

Things haven’t quite worked out for NEVER EQUALLED (best price 8-1) over fences, so the switch back to hurdles might just turn out to be a wise move by connections and he can rescue his season with a decent run here. Although Bernard Llewelyn’s inmate did finish close up behind Potters Legend earlier in the season, two heavy defeats subsequent must have surely dented his confidence to a degree and even though he was a creditable third last time out, he’s still didn’t totally convince with his jumping of the larger obstacles. His form over hurdles last season, however, reads a total different story and if he can run to the level which saw him beat Clondaw Cian off a mark of 129, he must surely go close in this much weaker event, at a track that he loves, off a mark 7lb lower.

OSCAR KNIGHT (best price 3-1) has shown on several occasions that he’s a very talented chaser when he pieces it all together and following an excellent effort when third in the Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown last time out, he looks the one to beat. Runner-up in this race last season off a mark of 109, Thomas Mullins’ inmate has improved immeasurably in the interim and following an impressive victory at Galway back in October, he really sprung to prominence as a horse who could land a big pot one day with his defeat of the very smart Ball D’Arc over today’s course two starts ago. The way he toyed with Gordon Elliot’s charge that day meant he was fully entitled to receive a good spanking off the handicapper but as his run in the big Christmas Handicap proved last time (very unlucky in the run), he’s capable of climbing even further up the ladder.

ONTOPOFTHEWORLD (NAP) (best price 11-8) has really upped his game since being allowed to race over the minimum trip in handicaps and with both his two best career performances coming from today’s venue, hopes are high that he can continue the good recent work. Runner-up to All The Chimney’s on his first visit to the Co Kildare venue, Arthur Moore’s charge exacted his revenge on his old rival when returning here two weeks later and with the feature of that effort the very strong speed figure he accomplished that day, a 4lb rise in the ratings shouldn’t be sufficient to prevent the son of Desert King from going in again at a track he clearly loves.