Andy Holding's Sunday Racing Tips

Having sauntered to the front looking sure to win here last time out, A New dawn ultimately didn’t quite home on the very testing conditions, so despite her, on balance, being the best filly in the race, she probably isn’t worth risking at a very short price and is passed over in favour of SHEHREEN (best price 8-1). Although she technically has quite a bit to find with Joseph O’Brien’s filly based on their encounter here two weeks ago, the daughter of Iffraaj never really had a chance to shine that day as she got pinned down on the inside rail as the tempo was quickening two out and, as a result, she lost valuable ground and any chance she had of troubling the judge. Once out in the clear, however, Dermot Weld’s filly did pick up well enough to suggest she had plenty of running left in the tank and the very fact she comes back again to have another crack at her old rival is a pointer towards how her canny handler is thinking as well. Having scored in game fashion over a stiff seven-furlongs on soft ground at Galway previously, she should appreciate today’s extra yardage and with hopefully the dead-eight going to post, she rates the value each-way call alternative to the favourite.

The meteoric rise of Make A Challenge has been one of the major stories of the season in Ireland and it would be fitting if Denis Hogan’s tough and consistent gelding got his just rewards for labours by landing his first pattern success. He has, however, had a pretty hard campaign and while if any horse can go to the well again, he probably can, the value bet at the prices could well be DOWNFORCE (best price 11-2). Ultimately, no match for Make A Challenge when they last met here back in August, it’s probably safe not to read too much into the distance between them at the line as Willie McCreery’s gelding basically handed the eventual winner a huge advantage due to a tardy start and then even more ground was given away by the indecision by his young jockey over which group to try and track. Better judged on his excellent effort behind the top-class Speak In Colours in a Group 3 over the C&D 15 days ago, the son of Fast Company went through the race with much of his old swagger and that performance very much suggested that he still has plenty to offer at this level. Nicely drawn today in stall three, he has the luxury of tracking his main two market rivals over on the far side, and with one of them, Flight Risk, yet to win in 14 attempts at six-furlongs, the way should be paved for this smart seven-year-old to hit the frame at the very least.

As we’ve seen time and time again, once in form, sprinters can go on a proper run of decent and improved results and that seems to be applying to MIACOMET (best price 8-1) at the moment. Eventually off the mark at the twentieth attempt when landing an ultra-competitive handicap at Cork two starts ago, Jack Davidson’s filly proved that run to be no fluke by finishing third in an even tougher heat at Navan last weekend. A bit slow away and behind on each occasion, today’s extra furlong should help her endeavours towards the backend of her race, when she’s usually at her strongest, and having encountered soft ground pretty much most of her life, today’s conditions shouldn’t trouble her either. Although she has a bit to find with old rival Fridtjof Nansen when they last met here back in August, there’s no doubt the Dandy Man filly has improved significantly since and nicely drawn in the middle where she can get loads of early cover, she’s fancied to come home strongly to be competitive at the business end.

There’s no denying Saglaway ran out an impressive winner at Listowel last time out but, as the time was incredibly slow and he probably didn’t beat much either, the form doesn’t allow him to be a painfully short price favourite in a race of this nature. Interestingly, on the same card, ROCK DE BAUNE (best price 9-1) ran the same trip as Saglawy ten seconds quicker, so based on those numbers, it makes little sense why he is chalked up at over twice the price. Better known for his exploits as a staying handicap hurdler, John Kiely’s gelding seems to be really thriving under his new discipline and his performance at the Kerry venue a month ago very much signalled a horse going places. In what turned out to be a strongly-run heat, the lightly-raced five-year-old proved he has stamina in an abundance by scampering clear in the closing stages and with those in behind such as Dalileo (second), Run For Mary (won) and Jumellea (won) all advertised the form since, the race and time figure looks totally believable. Undone by 1m2f around a sharp track the time before, the two times he’s been set a proper test he’s come through with flying colours and with today’s two-mile trip and testing ground likely to play into his strengths, the son of Saddex rates a very tempting proposition off his current mark.

Of the complete outsiders, DINARD ROSE (best price 33-1) appeals as one who can outrun her odds and she’s worth a small interest at 33-1. In fine fettle throughout the summer, Noel Meade’s filly secured win number three by turning around the form with Linger in no uncertain terms at Down Royal last time out and it’s clear on the evidence of that performance that she has the stomach for a battle over an extreme trip. Although out of the handicap here this afternoon, Alan Persse offsets that negative to keep the weights and measures bores happy and with her canny handler showing what he can do with a useful Flat horse courtesy of Dadoozdart at Limerick yesterday, it wouldn’t come as the biggest shock in the world to see this in-form filly go close to doing the same.