Andy Holding's Sunday Racing Tips

Sir Erec was touted as being Joseph O’Brien’s number one Triumph Hurdle hope prior to making his debut over today’s C&D back at the Christmas meeting and although he ultimately got the job done well enough on the day, he didn’t exactly knock your eyes out with the manner of his victory in what turned out to be a slowly run race. Workmanlike would probably be a fair description of his narrow-margin win over the other talking horse of the race, Tiger Tap Tap, and with his jumping a little careful at times, he will have to be a good deal sharper in all departments if he’s to justify his position in this contest and usurp stable mate, Fakir D’Oudairies, who’s already put a huge marker down for the juvenile crown at the Festival in March.

As the pair in question take out such a huge chunk in the market, there surely has to be some value to be had elsewhere and of those falling into the ‘dangerous floater’ category, both SURIN (best price 12-1) and GARDENS OF BABYLON (best price 17-2) are worth more than a second look – particularly as they hail from yard’s bang on the money here yesterday. The pair first met in a big-field maiden hurdle at Punchestown and in what turned out to be a tactical affair, the latter came from a good way back to claim the spoils close home and that result set up a re-match at Fairyhouse last time out. Once again, the duo served up another rousing finish with Gordon Elliot’s filly managing to turn the tables around with her old rival by the narrowest of margins and with the time figure of the race revealing they were trapping along at a fair rate of knots considering there was only a small field, the pair proved that they are well above-average.

Having proven that they can handle an environment of a well-run race over hurdles, the safest strategy, therefore, is to play both each-way against the field with the belief that it’s hard to imagine at least one of the pair not making the frame, causing only minimal damage from a punting perspective. Whatever the outcome, this contest, as it has proven in recent times (Our Conor, Tiger Roll and Farclas used this race a prep) has often provided a solid guide towards the Triumph at Cheltenham and with the current ante-post market still having a confused look to it, the picture will hopefully become a little clearer come 1.20.

Jockey arrangements suggest Klassical Dream is the number one contender from the Willie Mullins stable, but at the same time, it might be dangerous to rule out ARAMON (best price 9-2) given he’s already a proven Grade 1 winner over today’s C&D and under similar conditions to what he faced at the Christmas meeting, the progressive six-year-old rates the sporting choice to gain stable bragging rights. Winner of Grade 3 novice hurdle at Navan earlier in the campaign when the general consensus viewed stable mate Quick Grabim to be a shade unlucky, those who took that standpoint had their convictions confirmed as the son of Monsun could only finish third of the four runners when the pair clashed again in the Royal Bond at Fairyhouse. Whether he just didn’t like going right-handed as much, wasn’t suited by the slow pace or he just had an off day at the Co Meath venue, the six-year-old bounced back to form in no uncertain terms when he shipped up here last time out and the turn of foot he exhibited off the back of a strong pace in the closing stages ended up being the most impressive part of his overall performance. Clearly suited by a sound pace on good ground, if he’s ridden with the same sort of confidence as he was the last day, there’s no obvious reason why he won’t be a major factor at the business end.

Henry De Bromhead suffered the cruellest of blows here yesterday when one of his stable heroes Special Tiara ran his last race and while potentially landing a 50k handicap can only be considered as tiny compensation, CUNEO (best price 6-1) looks primed in his bid to add some well-needed cheer to the Knockeen yard. Promising on his first two starts of the season, the son of Kapgarde was pitched into the deep end on his most recent outing over today’s C&D and that bold ploy paid off in no uncertain terms. Upped to three miles and handicap company in one fell swoop, the seven-year-old was noted travelling well from a long way out and even though he was hard pressed in the closing stages by the persistent challenge of Thermistocles and the late run of Walk To Freedom, he impressed by the way he dug deep for pressure. Speed figure-wise, both the overall time and final circuit sectionals were better than Apples Jade in the Grade 1 over the same C&D, so armed with that knowledge, it’s pretty clear that this proper chasing type - who has a willing attitude and a decent amount of stamina to boot – is certainly good enough to cause some damage to this field if he’s in the same sort of shape 37 days on.

To most punters, on paper this looks to be a straight match between the hitherto unbeaten pair Delta Work and La Bague Au Roi, but there could be a serious fly in the ointment in the shape of HARDLINE (best price 9-1) if he stays the trip.

A useful sort in his own right over hurdles, but very different in many ways to his stable mate, Gordon Elliot’s gelding has steadily gone about his business since switching to fences and other than a defeat at the hands of the useful Voix Du Reve at Punchestown earlier in the campaign, he’s done very little wrong in the other three outings. A smooth victory over the useful marker Us And Them (runner-up in the 2m 1f Grade 1 here yesterday) at Navan two starts ago was eclipsed by his success over the top-class recruit Getabird at Limerick in a Grade 1 on his most recent start. Although he benefitted greatly by a mistake at the last by his main market rival at the Greenmount Park track, the son of Arcadio still impressed by the way he quickened up well on the run-in to seize on the opportunity handed to him and given that the speed figure of the race pointed towards it being one of the best novice events to have been run in Ireland so far this season, he simply can’t be ignored at his top price quotes of 8-1 this morning.

ROAD TO RESPECT (best price 9-4) got a well-documented poor run through in the Saville’s Chase here last time out and providing his jockey, Sean Flanagan, doesn’t make the same mistakes twice, Noel Meade’s charge has every chance of gaining compensation.

Heading into that Grade 1 off the back of an encouraging win in the JNwine.com Chase at Down Royal in November, the eight-year-old gelding was sent off a deserved 9-4 favourite to turn away some of the best Irish three-mile chasers around, but unfortunately for his supporters he received a double blow during the contest and he ended up having to settle for a minor role. Not only did he almost get knocked over the rail when short of room coming out of the back straight, the son of Gamut lost even further ground by slipping badly on his approach to the second last, so it was to his great credit that he ultimately managed to finish where he did. Although in an ideal world he could do with a little ease in the ground (some rain is forecast during afternoon), he’s got plenty of top-class form on a sound surface to set the mind at ease on that score and with the pace looking likely to be fairly honest right from the start, he should have the perfect set-up to send him to Cheltenham off the back of a more convincing display.

As we witnessed here yesterday, the handicaps offer the best opportunity for the smaller stables – certainly in terms of numbers - to have their day in the sun and that way of thinking very much applies to Eric McNamara with BLACK SCORPION (NAP) (best price 16-1) in this fiendishly-tricky puzzle.

A ridiculously easy winner of a competitive race at the Listowel festival back in September, the son of Scorpion was targeted at the Munster National by local connections for his next assignment and having travelled like he was going to land a well-orchestrated punt (8-1 into 7-2), the petrol he burnt up by racing with the choke out during the early part of the race came and grabbed him by the Jacobs after the last. Fancied in many quarters to go well in the Paddy Power Chase over today’s course on his latest outing, the seven-year-old appeared to be tanking along with plenty of lead left in his pencil when he came a cropper halfway down the back straight and even though it was too far out to speculate where he would have finished, it’s not a bold statement to suggest he would have been involved in the finish had he stayed on his feet. Dropping back to arguably his best trip on his return visit to the Dublin venue, hopefully he’ll suffer no lasting effects from that nasty experience and if that proves to be the case, this strong-travelling gelding can easily outrun his odds and he rates the sporting ‘Nap’ of the day.