Andy Holding's Sunday Racing Tips

JOHANES (NAP) (best price 6-4) was heavily involved in what turned out to be a rip-roaring novice event at Chepstow last time out and a repeat of the standard he displayed at the Welsh venue will make him extremely hard to beat here.

Cutting out a strong pace from the outset 12 days ago, he got most of his rivals under the cosh as the field turned for home and if it wasn’t for the powerful late surge of the eventual winner Truckers Lodge, Nigel Hawke’s inmate would have claimed a deserved first success over fences at the third time of asking. That said, he accounted for the likes of Finawn Bawn, Prime Venture and Copperhead, who are all promising recruits in their own right, and being the most experienced runner in today’s small, but select field, the son of Limnos is fancied to make all the running.

DOLLYS DESTINATION (best price 16-1) has been a model of consistency in recent times and even though there has to be a little bit of a fitness worry following a 133-day break, her morning price more than compensates for the risk.

A winner four starts ago in May, the daughter of Dubai Destination has had the misfortune to finish runner-up on her next three outings, but on each occasion, she has bumped into a well-handicapped rival. For instance, her conqueror at Downpatrick, Put The Kettle On, finished runner-up in a Grade 3 chase last time out and is now rated 137, while See The Sea who beat her at Cartmel the last day is 18lb higher in the ratings. A creditable fourth in a hot maiden hurdle behind Caravation on her only previous visit today’s venue, the six-year-old mare is easily capable of getting amongst the JP battalions if fully tuned up.

With the Fergal O’Brien team on fire, previous C&D winner Totterdown is going to created quite a good deal of interest on his debut for his new stable, but unsurprisingly he’s been well found in the market whereas JACKSON HILL (best price 14-1) seems to have escaped the attentions of the bookmakers and punters alike and makes more appeal at the prices.

Very lightly raced for a five-year-old, the son of Jeremy has had just the two starts for new connections since leaving Warren Greatrex and although the first outing didn’t amount to much, the second and latest effort at Plumpton proved to be a good bit more fruitful. Racing in the first-time hood/tongue-tie combination, Milton Harris’ gelding was switched off completely at the back of the field, but gradually working his way into contention rounding the home turn, he continued his relentless progress all the way to the line. Despite narrowly missing out, he did more than enough to suggest he will be of some interest in handicaps in future and having been given a reasonable starting point off a mark of 115, he rates a decent each-way proposition on ground that will suit.

It what should turn out to be a fascinating and informative clash, FAKIR D’OUDAIRIES (best price 5-2) rates the value call to upset the classy Melon on his chasing debut.

First and foremost, an important point to raise here is this is the race Joseph O’Brien used for Us And Them’s chasing debut before he went on to have a great season rounded off with a fine runner-up spot in the Arkle at the Festival, so it least shows connections are thinking along the same lines. Whether he makes the grade depends on his jumping, of course, but one of the features of his performances over hurdles was his fine technique and aptitude to the job at hand, so there’s a fair chance that the son of Kapgarde will become a natural. Either way, the four-year-old gelding has plenty of top class Grade 1 hurdle form as a back catalogue and a fresh appetite for the game that might just burn a little brighter than his main market rival here, Melon, who, on the face of it, has been a little underwhelming for the last two years (last win back in 2017).