Andy Holding's Monday Racing Tips

GREAT WHITE SHARK (best price 7-2) has taken a while to find her lane over hurdles, but now she’s finally got her head in front, she looks capable of adding to her latest success at Fairyhouse. Placed on her two previous outings, Willie Mullins’ mare was once again strong in the market at the Co Meath venue beforehand, and having travelled best of all throughout the two-mile journey, she saw it out well to get the better of a titanic tussle with Rhythm Divine.

With the pair well clear of the rest and the fourth home, Little Light, going on to advertise the strength of the form since, the daughter’s opening mark of 123 doesn’t appear too severe and having shaped like she probably requires further than the minimum trip to be at her best, tonight’s extra distance should play into her strengths.

OWENACURRA LASS (NAP) (best price 7-4) has run four honourable races over hurdles without managing to get her head in front, but with connections finally stepping her up to a more suitable distance, she’s strongly fancied to finally lose her maiden tag.

A winner of Wexford bumper back in October, Declan Queally’s mare has hit the board on each of her three subsequent outings, but at no stage did she ever look like landing any of those prizes due to the way she was ridden. Miles behind at halfway last time out at Tramore, the daughter of Gold Well did exceptionally well to get within hailing distance of the front-running Shimmer And Shine and being out of a family that have been responsible for many three-mile winner down the years, it would come as no surprise if she improved quite dramatically for tonight’s 2m6f journey.

ROCK ON SEAMIE (best price 5-1) couldn’t quite capitalise on a decent opportunity in his bid to follow a previous success at Limerick last time out, but it may have been a different story had he not raced on the slowest part of the track in the home straight and he’s taken to regain the winning thread.

Off the mark in game fashion the time before at Tipperary, Ray Hackett’s gelding went into his latest adventure with plenty of confidence behind him and although he didn’t quite manage to justify his position in the market, he was by no means disgraced.

Switched towards the soup on the inside of the track while his main rivals ploughed a furrow on the better ground up the middle, that manoeuvre clearly cost him the race, but it was still good to see him come home with plenty of purpose and that suggests he’s still on an upward curve. Tonight’s quicker ground will obviously be a different examination, but hopefully he can act accordingly and reward solid each-way support.