Andy Holding's Sunday Racing Tips

MAY REMAIN (NAP) (best price 7-1) has run a good deal better than his finishing positions have indicated on his two starts this term and he’s worth keeping on side in his bid to try and end a frustrating run of unplaced efforts. 

Although only tenth of 23 on his seasonal bow over today’s course, that information only tells half the story as he was denied a clear run when gathering up a head of steam approaching the final furlong, Once out in the clear, Richard O’Brien’s gelding flew home down the outside to suggest he would have been a big player in the final outcome with a clear run and considering he did all this work from an un-favoured stall position (22 of 23), his performance deserved massively upgrading. Sent to Naas to contest a similar six-furlong handicap last time out, unfortunately, the son of Mayson ended up copping for a bad draw for the second time in a row, but once again he shaped better than the end product would have you believe as he was the only one from a double-figure stall (16 of 20) to offer any resistance to those housed towards the favoured far side fence.

Returning to the scene of his first unlucky outing, the four-year-old should be suited by today’s conditions and the unique five-and-a-half-furlong trip and providing his low draw ends up positioning him on the right part of the track when the final action takes place, he has every chance of ending his long, losing spell. 

In intriguing listed contest for the three-year-olds bringing together some promising types, and with both sets of connections agreeing that INVERLEIGH (best price 7-1) and GUSTAVUS WESTON (best price 22-1) are going to be better served by sprint trips rather than trying to stretch them out in distance, they make plenty of appeal on their respective seasonal reappearances. 

The former was hugely impressive on his racecourse debut at Leopardstown, finding a smart turn of foot in the closing stages to easily brush aside his stable companion Burmese Waltz. Undone by the way the race panned out when upped in grade at Fairyhouse next time, Ger Lyon’s colt patently failed to see out the seven-furlong trip on his final start of the campaign at Dundalk. Back over a more suitably distance this afternoon, today’s contest looks a decent starting point for this promising sprinter and a decent run is anticipated.

The latter was also impressive on the eye and on the clock when scoring in the style of a smart horse at Fairyhouse on his second start as a two-year-old and even though there were plenty of tempting engagements towards the backend of the season, the final of Equine EBF Series was always going to be the lure because of the prize money on offer. Sadly, a terrible draw put paid to his chances at the Co Kildare venue and he faded into seventh after looking dangerous two out, but he remains a colt of immense promise and it would be disappointing if he, too, doesn’t make some sort of impact in this division during the season ahead.