Andy Holding's Tuesday Racing Tips

The key to LLEYTON (best price 5-1) is fast ground, so with those conditions almost certain to be in place here this afternoon (no rain forecast), John Finn’s gelding rates a decent proposition at the early morning odds.

Undone by rain-effected ground at Thurles in November the last time we saw him over hurdles, he’d previously gone well in two competitive handicaps at the same track on a much quicker terrain. A solid fourth a competitive race on the level 17 days ago, again on suitable ground, it’s also worth pointing out that the seven-year-old overcame a poor round of jumping to score on his only previous visit to today’s track back in October and with many of his opponents here this afternoon not exactly ripping down the barn door at present, it would be slightly disappointing if he weren’t capable of putting up a bold show.

RED SOLE DIVA (best price 15-2) has shown more than a hint of ability in three starts to date and she rates an interesting proposition on handicap debut off what appears a workable mark.

A promising sixth behind stable companion Jupiter Road over seven furlongs on the all-weather at Dundalk, the daughter of Dylan Thomas shaped like she just didn’t see out the 1m2f journey when upped in trip on her next start at Cork. Fourth to the useful Kastasa (third from bad draw at Leopardstown off a mark of 78 on Sunday) in a similar maiden at Clonmel last time out, she once again intimated that maybe a drop down in distance might be the answer and hailing from a stable that appears to be cranking up their performance levels in the last fortnight (10 winners in this period), the three-year-old filly is worth a shy at the stumps at a fair each-way price.

FORTUNES HIDING (NAP) (best price 15-8) clocked some smart numbers for the grade when scoring in emphatic fashion at Uttoxeter 10 days ago and even though the handicapper has tried his best to intervene, it may not be enough to prevent six-year-old from repeating the dose.

Having just his second start over fences, Peter Bowen’s inmate left his previous poor effort well and truly behind with a bold-jumping display that simply blew his 11 rivals away at the Midland venue and then if you take into account his speed figure, it puts another extra sheen onto the surface. In running a faster overall time and last lap than the 0-140 chase earlier on the card, this was clearly a performance of some merit and providing the son of Beat Hollow can get into the same sort of rhythm on his first attempt at the Welsh track, he will surely take some stopping.