Andy Holding's Tuesday Racing Tips

As it turned out, it was probably a good thing ANGEL PALANAS (best price 9-2) didn’t run here over 7f last week as he had everything to lose as a short priced favourite with concerns over the trip, and today’s option running back over the same C&D which saw him win impressively when last seen seems much more sensible. Although it was only a low-grade Class 6 0-62 he contested, ran actually managed to run a faster speed figure than the 0-80 handicap won by Hammer Gun over the same C&D half-an-hour earlier and with Kommander Kirkup runner-up in that very race, there’s a decent chance the four-year-old can get the better of Michael Herrington’s charge and reverse the form from their previous encounter at the very least. 

Predictably, Messrs Mullins and Elliot dominate the market for this mares’ only event, but while the percentages say the prize is likely to be going in the direction of the two men fighting out the Irish trainer’s championship, MOYHENNA (best price 5-1) should in no way be underestimated and rates and fair each-way alternative to the ‘big two’ in the betting. Having posted a couple of solid efforts over hurdles, Denis Hogan’s mare finally got off the mark when accounting for the useful Best Of Dubai (placed in a listed event at Navan) back in bumper company over today’s course last time out and with an attitude that will count for plenty when it comes to slogging her way through today’s likely arduous conditions, she’s expected to put up a very solid account.

SHAR WHATS THERUSH (NAP) (best price 6-4) hadn’t really shown a great deal in his first four outings, but the addition of a tongue-tie for the first-time totally galvanised Donal Hassett’s charge to go to fresh new heights on just his second try in handicap company at Fairyhouse and on the evidence of the numbers he posted at the Co Meath track, he appears to have quite a few pounds still up his sleeve in today’s modest-looking contest. On a day when there were quite a few useful names running over the hurdles track back in November, such as Jetz (fourth in a Grade 1 subsequently), Mitchouka (rated 135), Chateau Conti and (136) The Storyteller (142), amazingly, the son of Doyen not only posted a very smart overall speed figure for the grade, his final circuit time eclipsed all of those aforementioned performers by quite some margin. Staying on strongly in the latter stages off good, honest fractions, the five-year-old powered clear after the last to win with quite a bit in hand and with the second, third, and sixth most notably going on to endorse the form since, there’s no reason not to believe the level of performance he achieved that day. Although he hasn’t been seen out for 84 days, that’s not a bother as he clearly goes well fresh (off 52 days prior to his latest win) and it’s just simply a case of whether he can handle today’s much more testing conditions than the soft ground he encountered the last day.