Andy Holding's Sunday Racing Tips

Strongly-run bumpers are a rare breed – even more so at this time of year – but the contest won by Laoch Liam bucked that trend at Down Royal several weeks ago and having run well to finish a creditable third, GAGAS HORSE (best price 2/1) makes plenty of appeal on hurdling debut. Yet to run a bad race in five starts under rules, Adrian Maguire’s charge finally got off the mark at the fourth time of asking when landing a bumper over today’s C&D (lowered the colours of a Willie Mullins-trained hot-pot), finding the combination of being asked to make the running and the first-time hood a welcome addition to his game. Trying to repeat the dose at the Co Down venue last time, he went off at such a pace that he was the main reason for generating a big speed figure, and although he failed to keep up the gallop all the way to the line, he still posted a decent number for himself in keeping on well to earn a small slice of the pie. Obviously, a certain amount of trust on taken that he will jump a clear and smooth round on his hurdling bow, but providing he does, there’s a fair chance he will have a big enough engine and the ability to put this sort of opposition to the sword.

Like many Charlie Pogson-trained runners, MINELLA FORFITNESS (best price 11-2) seems to save some of his best form for today’s venue and following another decent effort away from his happy hunting ground at Southwell last time out, hope is high he can regain the winning thread returning the Lincolnshire track. Prior to that sound second-placed effort 26 days ago, the Westerner gelding had showed plenty of battling qualities to get up in the dying strides of a well-run handicap over this C&D and with the likelihood of a decent pace courtesy of today’s double-figure field, this keen-going sort should get the perfect set up.

Although reliability isn’t THE KING OF BREGA’s (NAP) (best price 13-2) middle name, there’s every chance he can follow up his latest success at Downpatrick providing he can run to a similar standard now returning back to fences. The combination of a return to decent ground with the cheekpieces back on really worked the oracle for Henry De Bromhead’s charge as he simply proved too good for the heavily-backed Willie Mullins-trained Ben Button and with time figure sound and the third-placed horse, Cairnshill, winning at Kilbeggan subsequently, the form looks reliable. Disappointing on his last visit to today’s track last year, the soft ground was the excuse for that below-par effort that day, but prior to that he’d proven he’s totally at home over the same C&D by running out an easy winner of this very race twelve months ago when conditions were very much on the fast side. Providing there are no showers at the Patrickswell track today, the son of Court Cave has a great chance of following up.