Andy Holding's Monday Racing Tips

A cracking start to what is always a memorable week at Ballybrit and despite some of the big battalions flexing their muscles, RIP ROCKS PADDY OK (best price 12-1) and RASIYM (best price 12-1) have shown enough so far to date to suggest they could be good enough to cause an upset from slightly smaller stables.

The former took no fewer than 11 attempts to get off the mark, but in doing so he posted a very useful set of figures. In a well-run affair at Cork 17 days ago, Andrew Slattery’s gelding had too many guns for the useful and well-backed Fightfortheroses in the latter stages and with his overall time figure and final lap sectionals better than the other 2m hurdle contests on the card by some way, it’s safe to say he’s improving just at the right time.

The latter also holds a similar winning margin over Fightfortheroses and that came courtesy of a smooth success at Tipperary earlier in the month. Despite running half-a-mile further he managed to run an identical final circuit time as the top-class Thomas Hobson and if they go a good gallop here this evening, his ability to stay well could prove a major factor over this stiff two miles.

A competitive handicap on paper, but it should be a race well within the range of LINGER (NAP) (best price 4-1) who, in the past, was winning off a mark 17lb higher than the one he’s perched on this evening. After losing his way with previous connections, Joseph O’Brien’s inmate made an immediate impact from his new base when winning a big-field handicap over 1m6f on the Flat at Gowran. Heavily-backed to repeat the dose at Navan next time, the son of Cape Cross came up short in a slowly run race and even though he was unable to improve on his latest outing at Tipperary, he was up against the very well-handicapped Eight And Bob from the Willie Mullins’ stable. The fact that he was only a 7-1 chance for the 2017 Fred Winter Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival tells you the sort of company he’s been keeping in the not too distant past, and safe in the knowledge that some of his old spark has been forthcoming since the switch to Owning Hill, the six-year-old is fancied to get his handler off the mark for the week.

As is always the case in races of this nature at Galway, a good break from a low draw is likely to prove crucial in the final analysis and with several of the main players – according to the market – posted out wide, the safest option is to play IMPROVING (best price 9-1) and ENGLES ROCK (best price 7-1) against the field.

The former has yet to win in six starts, but there’s no doubt he’s inching closer to the bull’s eye and that was never more apparent than his latest effort when runner-up at Limerick last time out. In a well-run affair against the older horses at the Greenmount Park venue, Augustine Leavy’s gelding was only just run out of the argument close home by the useful Hit The Silk and with the third, Koybig, going on to boost the form at Killarney last week, there’s every reason to feel confident of this lightly-raced type going well back in his own age group from his favoured inside draw.

The latter easily has the best singular piece of form against her name thanks to her runner-up spot against the subsequent Guineas heroine Hermosa here last season and that performance added to her two most recent solid efforts give the locally-trained filly a gilt-edged opportunity if things go smoothly during the race.

Able to take advantage of a surprising piece of leniency by the handicapper at Listowel two starts ago, the daughter of Excelebration only narrowly failed in her repeat bid next time at Gowran, but as the 1m1f trip just probably stretched her stamina to the limit, she rates a more viable proposition back over her optimum trip here this evening.

No quarter likely to be asked or given in this much sought-after prize for the amateur riders and NEVERUSHACON (best price 20-1) is fancied to put his course experience to good use. First running here at Ballybrit in 2014, Jessica Harrington’s gelding has turned up every year since and although he’s better known for his exploits over fences, he does have two victories on the Flat next to his name. Indeed, his latest success came courtesy of a gutsy performance on the level at Gowran and with that victory followed up by another win in a recent charity race at the Curragh, it’s clear the eight-year-old comes here in the form of his life.

As you’d expect for the money on offer, a wide-open and almost impossible-looking handicap to decipher, but both ORPEN WIDE (best price 15-2) and SUNSPRITE (best price 16-1) have found a fair level of form here in the past to be worthy of consideration and are taken against the field.

The former in particular has a tremendous record at the Thameside venue, as form figures of 12222331 testify, and the latest one of those performances encapsulated what he’s all about. A tricky customer to ride, in the sense he has to be covered up for as long as possible before being delivered late, Pat Dobbs produced his mount just at the right moment when getting the better of Sunsprite in the dying strides and no doubt the same pilot will look to repeat the same tactics on his return visit.

Although beaten far and square by his old rival a month ago, it at least proved that the latter handles the track and with his latest effort when runner-up to the useful Swindler in fast time at Ascot not too shabby either, a big run is expected from this talented young sprinter.

TYNAMITE (best price 6-1) has some pretty useful form next to his name back in his native Ireland and if reproducing some of those performances on his first try on English soil, he has a fair chance of making the long journey over the Irish Sea worthwhile.

Below par when the mile trip stretched his stamina at Limerick last time out, his run the time before over the same track was a good deal more promising and it’s that display which gives him a gilt-edged chance against this sort of company here this evening. Usually a sweet traveller in his races, tonight’s track and trip should suit and he rates a fair each-way bet at the morning odds.