Andy Holding's Sunday Racing Tips

Just as Kilcarry Bridge showed in Graded company and to a lesser extent, Polar Present proved at Thurles in midweek, ratings count for little at this time year when race fitness and ability to handle the ground are king, so even though HIGH NELLIE (best price 18-1) has a mountain to find on paper with several of today’s rivals, she’s more than capable of running way beyond her expectations. On the day when she finished runner-up to the former in a handicap hurdle at Gowran, she posted a faster overall speed figure and a significantly quicker final circuit than Alletrix when she landed the maiden hurdle on the same card, so using Jessica Harrington’s filly as a guide, the daughter of High Chaparral has a better chance of hunting up the favourite than her position in the market suggests (double the price of Alletrix). Not disgraced against some smart novices with pretentions of being Graded horses last time out at Cork, Michael Bowe’s charge will keep plugging away at a track where her form figures read 241. 

Most of the field, including STAMP YOUR FEET (best price 7-1), had little chance keeping tabs on the rapidly-improving Golden Birthday at Newton Abbot 57 days ago, but Tom George’s inmate came out of the race with great credit and there’s no reason why he shouldn’t take a hand in this similar shape contest if running to the same level. Although he could never lay a glove on the runaway winner – who has gone on to boost the form three times on the Flat – the five-year-old was one of the few to make any sort of meaningful ground from the back of the field in what turned out to be a very strongly run affair and with the second and third also backing up the race’s excellent speed figure next time, this lightly-raced and consistent sort makes plenty of each-way appeal at the morning prices.

Although MR MIX (best price 5-2) got well left behind by two useful sorts when last seen at Chepstow, the clock reveals he ran a good deal better than at first thought and, as a result, he’s fancied to get back on track in a contest where the rhythm of the race is expected to be a little kinder on his inexperience over fences. Having just third start over the larger obstacles, Paul Nichols didn’t have the basic speed to live with Mia’s King and Elegant Escape at the Welsh venue two weeks ago, but as the front two were trapping along in a circuit time three seconds quicker than the one won by the 133-rated Roman De Senam, it’s no great surprise that the six-year-old grey found himself outpaced. That said, even in finishing 14 lengths behind the winner, he still posted a smart set of numbers himself and now returning to a track where he’s won before over a trip that should suit, the son of Al Namix has the qualities to beat today’s rivals, most for which Father Time is breathing down their necks. 

PROSPECTUS (NAP) (best price 3-1) completes at hat trick of visits to this column in recent times, but hopefully he can make it third time lucky as he bids to back up several solid performances under both codes since returning to the fray. A creditable fourth in a hugely-competitive handicap hurdle at the Listowel Festival when he just looked in need of the outing after a layoff, Gavin Cromwell’s four-year-old has twice hit the board in keenly-contested heats on the level and as one of those sound performances came over today’s course, that effort should set him up nicely for a positive display on his return visit to Ballybrit on ground that he loves.