Andy Holding's Sunday Racing Tips

OH’HEREWEGO (best price 8-1) was a decent-priced winner for this column at Tipperary a month ago and there seems no obvious reason to desert Val O’Brien’s gelding under optimum conditions. In great form since the cobwebs were blown away at Ballinrobe back in August, the nine-year-old proved his well being with a smooth success at Listowel and then he went on to show another side of his skill set with that game victory at the Limerick Junction circuit on his next start. Only an 11-1 chance when getting no further then the third at Galway last time out, that race at Ballybrit was considerably stronger than the one he contests today and providing his confidence hasn’t been too badly dented by his tumble last time, the son of Medaaly, who usually travels strongly through his races, should be there or thereabouts with a clear round this time.

Some of the better novice hurdlers show their faces here, none more so than QUICK GRABIM (NAP) (best price 6-4), who can put an early marker down for top honours in this division.

Runner-up in a useful maiden hurdle on his first start for new connections this time last year, Willie Mullins’ gelding was sent off a warm order to go one place better on his next outing at Leopardstown, but unfortunately the six-year-old got no further than the second hurdle. Not seen out for a full 260 days, the son of Oscar quickly made up for lost time by trouncing his rivals in a decent little contest at the Listowel Festival and then upped in class, he ran out an even more impressive winner of a grade 3 Novices Hurdle at Tipperary on his latest outing. Always travelling well off a sound pace set by subsequent winner Pearl Of the West, he quickened up appreciably in between the last two flights to pull readily clear and with the well-beaten fifth horse, Dorrels Pierji (beaten 35 lengths) also going on to score next time out, the race stacks up as being by some way the best piece of Irish novice hurdle form by quite some margin. Although he faces a useful opponent today in the shape of Felix Desjy, the selection is strongly fancied to have far too much boot for his main market rival.

It was too early in the day to say what would have happened had CONINGSBY (best price 10-1) had he not run out at Carlisle last week, but what we can say with a degree of certainty, is that Tom Lacey’s five-year-old had jumped and travelled well enough in the lead for over half of the journey to suggest he may have had some say in the finish. Setting off in front at the Cumbrian venue, the son of Midnight Legend was still bowling along merrily at the head of affairs until he cocked his jaw at the point where the runners turned sharply right onto the back straight and as the race ended up being a tremendous one on the speed figures, there’s a fair chance he would have clocked a decent number of some description had he played ball. Not surprisingly, connections have reached for the first-time cheekpieces in the hope that they keep his mind on the job and if the headgear does work the trick, the lightly-raced five-year-old has the ability to make a bold fist of it from the front.

At first glance, WONDER LAISH (best price 13-8) looks plenty short enough based on what he’s achieved so far over hurdles, but if you take in to account his recent performance on the Flat, Charles Byrnes’ gelding makes far more appeal.

The race in question was the November Handicap seven days ago at Naas and given the way the son of Halling finished off his race inside the final two furlongs, it’s clear that he’s in the rudest of health at present. In a contest chock-full of some of the best and in-form middle-distances handicappers, the six-year-old past most of the field in the home straight to finish a never-nearer third and providing he can translate that level of performance back over hurdles, he should be capable of taking advantage of his current mark of just 119 (rated 95 on the Flat).