Andy Holding's Monday Racing Tips

ROSIE LIFE (best price 11-2) had very little chance against the proverbial steering job, Prince Sarsfield, at the Curragh last week, but today’s task looks a good bit simpler on paper, so she’s rated a sporting choice to cause several of the better fancied runners some problems.

Having her first outing for 136 days at the Co Kildare, she was understandably a suck-it-and-see project for new connections but they must have been delighted with the way she faired under the circumstances. Never placed to trouble the winner, who has a touch of class, Ado McGuinness’ filly did, however, kept on very nicely in the latter stages without being subject to anything like a hard ride and hopefully she can build on that initial effort in the future. Whether today will be the day the green light is switched on, only time will tell, but either way, we know she handles the ground and it’s not as if the front two in the market are anything special based on what we’ve seen of them up to now, so hopefully she’ll be allowed to give it a good go.

Quite a few of these ran with distinction at the Curragh last week and of those, MIRACLES IN MAY (best price 13-2) makes the most appeal at the morning odds.

Strongly backed to build on his solid effort at the same track previously, the four-year-old only narrowly succumbed to a horse who was drawn on the other side of the track, but given that the front two finished well clear of the rest, it was a performance that still suggested he’s going the right way. Moreover, his time figure in finishing second was better than the other seven-furlong handicap won by Summer Dream and being as he’s also received a kinder draw than one of his main market rivals, the son of Approve should go well in the hands of the extremely promising apprentice, Micky Sheehy.

L’EMPATHIE (NAP) (best price 6-1) may lack the experience for a race of this nature (withdrawn from a similar contest at Leopardstown last week due a vaccination error), but she doesn’t when it comes to pure ability and hopefully, she will know enough to put her skills to good use on handicap debut. Catching the eye with the way she finished off her race at Killarney on debut, the daughter of Champs Elysees was extremely well-backed to vindicate the impression she created at the Co Kerry venue and after travelling well throughout what turned out to be an extremely strongly-run race in the conditions at the harvest festival, she justified the heavy support in the market (20-1 into 13-2) to score with a bit up her sleeve. With such a strong speed figure for a race of that kind, it’s always good to see those in behind go on to frank the form, and that’s been the case with both runner-up, Jazzy Lady and third, Harriet Tubman, winning since. Given the subsequent events of those vanquished, Joseph Murphy’s lightly-raced filly seems to have escaped fairly lightly to be given a rating of 78 and it’s a mark she can exploit to full capacity at some stage – so let’s hope it’s today as 8-1 looks a fair price. Of the rest, Jazz Lady, could well turn out to be the main threat having chased home the selection in that strong contest at Killarney. Ian O’Connor’s filly then came here and routed her opponents subsequently and then found the strange decision to drop her back five-furlongs unsurprisingly counting against her at Limerick last time out. Back under her optimum conditions, she’s likely to pose a more potent threat than the market suggests.