Andy Holding's Sunday Racing Tips

By some way the best single piece of form coming into this Grade 1 affair is held by QUICK GRABIM (best price 7-4) courtesy of his smooth victory in the Joe Mac Hurdle at Tipperary back in September and he’s strongly fancied to back up that view and also make amends for his untimely defeat at Navan last time out. In clocking a big number at the Limerick Junction venue, Willie Mullins’ gelding showcased his talents in every department and with the time figure also suggesting he’s a novice of some repute, he was deservedly made favourite to repeat the dose 21 days ago.

Unfortunately, the combination of an overly-confident ride and a bad mistake two cost the son of Oscar any chance of beating his stablemate Aramon in a race that turned out to be a test of speed from three out, but it was notable that he finished his race off well enough on the run-in to suggest he would have been a bigger player if everything had gone more conventionally.

Although he’s got solid form on soft ground just in case it rains, his turn of foot will be seen to better effect if conditions stay as they were here yesterday and given that his main market rival, Commander Of Fleet is seen as more of a Ballymore Novices’ horse by connections, the six-year-old can use his basis speed to his advantage. 

Although he can’t beat Quick Grabim based on their Tipperary encounter, the scintillating form of the Joseph O’Brien stable and slightly easier ground means just a few units have to be invested in the direction of TRIPLICATE (best price 10-1). Arriving here the forgotten horse of the race, it’s worth pointing out that the son of Galileo accounted for subsequent Irish November Handicap winner, Mr Everest, in a maiden hurdle at Galway before going on to lower the colours of Aramon at the Listowel Festival, who he meets again this afternoon.

Done for pace on much quicker ground in that Grade 3 56 days ago, the scopey five-year-old should appreciate today’s track better and there’s a decent chance he will prove his morning odds all wrong in a tightly-knit affair that tactics will have a major say in the outcome.

Barry’s Jack looks to have been laid out for this prize based on how he shaped in the qualifier here a month ago, but at the same time, he hasn’t been missed in the market, whereas his conqueror that day, TAKE A BREAK (best price 13-2) seems to have been largely overlooked and therefore rates the value each-way alternative.

Immediately off the mark since switching to Mark Walford, the seven-year-old following up his Hexham success with a game display over today’s C&D a month later, and although he failed in his attempt to land the hat trick when returning to the Northumberland venue last time out, the particularly testing ground may have been the reason why he didn’t manage to run to his best.

Back on a better surface here this afternoon, the son of Sunday Break looks one of the most likely to run his race and he should be played accordingly.

MASTER WORK (best price 4-1) was another so far this season who seems to have been galvanised by the general resurgence and wellbeing of the Philip Hobbs’ stable and his victory at Warwick rates the best singular piece of form both in terms of speed figures and depth of opposition beaten coming into today’s contest. Off the back of a 183-day break, the Network gelding was always travelling best at the Midland track and then once shaken up after jumping the last, he readily pulled clear of his rivals.

Encouragingly, the third horse home that day, Je Suis Charlie, has already given the form of the race a shot in the arm with a smooth victory himself at Catterick next time out and with today’s conditions very similar to what they were 23 days ago, the lightly-raced five-year-old is fancied to repeat the dose.