Andy Holding's Sunday Racing Tips

Tudor City sets a decent standard with his runner-up spot in the big handicap at Leopardstown the standout piece of form, but at the same time, you’d have to be a very brave punter if you are thinking of taking odds-on about a horse who’s finished second no fewer than five times in his life. With that in mind, the safest option is to look towards a value alternative and in the shape of SHAMASH (best price 16-1), John McConnell’s inmate fits the bill. Although he’s difficult to judge in many respects having disappointed on his only hurdle run so far to date, it did come off the back a long break on his first run for his new yard and on ground that wouldn’t have suited. Since then, the son of Oasis Dream has improved dramatically in the interim and arriving here off the back of several impressive victories on the all-weather at Wolverhampton (showing a nice turn of foot on each occasion), a chance is taken that he can translate that sort of form back over hurdles on ground that should suit.

Again, another short-priced favourite trained by Tony Martin dominates the betting, but similar to the first race, better value may be garnered looking a little further outside the box. This season’s juveniles don’t look a bad crop so both DAKOTA MORIETTE (best price 8-1) and ALCANDER (best price 25-1) are worth more than a second glance based on their solid track form against some of the better four-year-olds. The former has been a fairly consistent performer since turning his attentions to the winter game and although he’s only managed to win once, his efforts against the likes of Landofhopeandglory and Prospectus deserve a good deal of credit. Still in front going down to the last until his attempts to make all the running in the Fred Winter at Cheltenham took its toll up the run-in, Gordon Elliot’s inmate still finished in the same ballpark as the likes of Divin Bere, Percy Street and Dreamcatching and they’ve all gone on to prove the value of the form subsequently. The latter takes a little more explaining, but if he can run to the same level which saw him finish four lengths behind Landofhopeandglory on good ground over today’s C&D back in November, there’s every chance he will outrun his huge morning odds on his first out for his rookie handler.

Three winners at Cork yesterday supplemented was has truly been a golden month so far for Jessica Harrington and the Co Kildare handler looks like receiving even more cheer with DON’T’ TOUCH IT (best price 2-1) in this novice handicap chase. A very smart hurdler last season, chasing, however, was always going to be his game and on the evidence of his four starts so far to date, that viewpoint has been well and truly endorsed. Third behind the likes of Bellshill and Bleu Et Rouge on his first two starts, the son of finally got off the mark over fences when dispatching a useful field at Thurles and with the time figure of the performance that day suggesting it was a display of some credence, he fully deserved to take his chance against a better quality of opponent at Leopardstown next time out. Despite not putting a foot wrong, he did, however, come against a horse in the shape of Great Field who simply just had too much all-round pace for him throughout, but the fact that he still had subsequent winner Woodland Opera behind him that day, still pointed towards it being a decent effort from the seven-year-old. Looking back at his Grade 1 success at Punchestown last year when he beat the likes of Brain Power, Petite Mouchoir, Yorkhill, Ball D’Arc and Charbel, there’s a massive case to be made for him being unbelievably well treated for his handicap chase debut off just 143 and with today’s better ground likely to suit (Good-to-yielding when he landed the Grade 1), even relatively skinny odds of 7-4 still make plenty of appeal.

Yorkhill will predictably be the headline act here following his victory in the JLT Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, but equally impressive on the same card was ROAD TO RESPECT (NAP) (best price 6-1) and he rates the value call in his bid to bridge the gap from Handicap to Grade 1 company. Surviving a terrible blunder at the first, Noel Meade’s charge quickly got back into his stride and, assuming command from some way out, he powered clear of a well-contested field in a style of a very useful novice. Moreover, his speed figures compared to Willie Mullins’ star also make interesting reading, as not only did he run a very fast overall time (best handicap time of the whole week), his sectional times stack up very well when lining up the two races on a split screen (always at least ten lengths clear after touching down over the second fence). Having previously run well in this sort of grade against the likes of Min and Coney Island, the son of Gamut is certainly not lacking in class and with likely prospect of the favourite forfeiting valuable ground jumping out to his left, odds around the 6-1 mark look very appealing.

The combination of Ellmarie Holden and Rachel Blackmore have been nothing short of deadly when teaming up throughout the winter and LACHARES (best price 8-1), a ready winner for the duo at Limerick last time out, is strongly fancied to keep the ball rolling for the leading ladies. Since needed his first run for new connections behind Dinaria Des Obeaux at Cork back in November, the Manduro gelding has gone from strength to strength and following a breakthrough success at Gowran two starts ago, he supplemented those gains with an even more impressive victory at the Munster venue last time. Cutting out a decent pace from the start, the four-year-old kept on galloping strongly all the way top the line and with his time figure he posted suggesting it was a performance of some repute, even his revised rating of 125 from 116 might not be enough to stop him completing the hat trick.