Andy Holding's Sunday Racing Tips

HONOR OAK (NAP) (best price 11-2) has been in excellent heart so far this season and her decent run of form looks set to continue against her own sex. Runner up on her first two starts this campaign, the five-year-old mare defied her lowly handicap mark (2lb out of the handicap) and her market expectation when finishing a creditable sixth in a much better race than this over a mile on Irish Guineas weekend. Given how the field migrated over towards the stands side fence to explore better ground, Tom Hogan’s charge did extremely well to finish as close up as she did from her low draw, and if she hadn’t have met trouble in running around the two pole, she may have finished a good deal better off than her eventual finishing position. Having proven herself over a testing mile that day, she now gets a chance to operate over her best trip and with today’s opposition more realistic in terms of class, a big run looks on the cards from the daughter of Zebedee from her ground-saving draw around the inside. Top weight Gentl J, for whom the ground has come in her favour, and the improving Tobacco Bay look the main threats.

RATTLING JEWEL (best price 7-2) ran out a worthy winner of a much tougher race over today’s course last time out and is fancied to supplement those gains under ideal conditions. Only out of the money once in six starts when there’s been genuine give in the ground at the Co Kildare track, Nicole Mckenna’s inmate is also fairly flexible regards trip (has solid form between 5 and 7f) so the drop back to the minimum distance shouldn’t prove too much of a concern. Indeed, the Royal Applause gelding has a decent cruising speed to withstand a well-run race and with his added stamina very much seen as plus under today’s conditions, he looks to have plenty of bases covered. Although soundly beaten in the same race last time, SORS (best price 7-1) has to come into the argument on account of today’s better stall position. Marooned out in the centre when all the action took place up the nearside fence, Andrew Slattery’s inmate didn’t perform too badly considering he was swimming against the tide and given that he’s easily the most experienced runner in today’s field when it comes to vital track knowledge, the five-year-old has a decent chance of defying top weight.

The ratings point heavily towards Only Mine here, but this race looks more wide open that the market suggest and both PETICOATGOVERNMENT (best price 8-1) and MUSIC BOX (best price 10-1) make plenty of appeal as each-way alternatives. The former has been terrific shape this season and although her hat trick bid was foiled over today’s C&D last time out, she still came out of the race with great credit. In chasing home course specialist Rattling Jewel, she in-turn, pulled nicely clear of the rest of the 20-strong field and comparing her time figure to the one achieved by Only Mine, who was runner-up in the Group 2 Greenlands Stakes over the same C&D, Willie McCreey’s filly actually was marginally faster on the clock. Based on those findings alone, she has to have some sort of chance of defeating the favourite, but then you add in her ability to handle today’s track and ground and knowing that she hails from a stable in great form at present, and everything stacks up in her favour.

The latter hasn’t the experience of many of today’s rivals when it comes to hard-knocking handicaps, but it’s pretty clear to see based on her four runs so far to date, that she has plenty of ability. Runner-up to Michael Halford’s very useful Irishcorrespondent (third in the Irish 2000 Guineas) on only her second start at Leopardstown, Aidan O’Brien’s inmate then had the misfortune to bump into another potentially smart colt on her next start in the shape of Bigwood at Gowran next time out. Although a disappointment to many that day (sent off 4-6), her time figure in finishing second to John Feane’s charge suggests she ran up to a decent standard, so it was no great surprise that she managed to make amends on her return visit to the Kilkenny track when landing a 7f maiden with a bit to spare. Once again, she clocked a very fast time on heavy ground and it’s that conditioning that should stand her in good stead in today’s much tougher assignment.

A wide-open middle-distance handicap with many that make the shortlist, however, FROM EDEN (best price 25-1) appeals as one that may have slipped through the net of the bookmakers at the prices based on his productive winter over jumps. A gusty winner of a maiden hurdle at Fairyhouse back in April, Val O’Brien’s inmate proved that he relishes heavy ground that day and although he failed in his bid to follow up next time out at Ballinrobe, it was certainly not disgrace to finish a close-up third to the useful Dandy Mag on ground a little quicker than ideal. Although he’s a difficult one to assess in many ways on his return to the level, there’s a decent chance he may prove better than his current rating of 75 in time and he gets a chance to prove that theory this afternoon from his favourable inside draw. Of the rest, Nanabad has been knocking on the door this season and should find conditions suitable enough for another positive show, while Dragon Fei indicated last time out she’s close to recapturing the sort of form which saw her runaway with a similar race to this over today’s C&D back in 2014.