Andy Holding's Monday Racing Tips

GREY GETAWAY (best price 6-1) could never get competitive on his hurdling debut at Aintree, but the speed figure of that competitive affair suggested those at the front end were going at a fair lick and although today’s contest is certainly going to be no stroll in the park, he might just have the requisite ability and knowhow to make a bigger impact this time around.

Second in a point and mildly promising in a bumper over today’s course last season, Paul Nicholls’ gelding just found the pace they were going around that tight track all a bit too much on his first outing for 225-day, but at the same time, it was a performance not totally devoid of encouragement for the future either. Although it’s easy to say already he’s not going to one of the stable stars at Ditcheat, he’s the type who should pay his way in staying handicaps over hurdles and fences in due course and now he’s had that run under his belt to blow away the cobwebs, it would be disappointing if he couldn’t hit the frame here at the very least.

DJINGLE (best price 7-2) may not have the overall CV of some of his rivals, but he does come here right on top of his game and at the very least he should give a bold account from the front. A seemingly revitalised character since joining John Queally, the six-year-old showed signs of a brighter future when totally running away with a decent novice chase at the Listowel Festival and, off the back of that win, a jump into Graded company seemed the next logical step. Once again, sent to the front at Roscommon 42 days ago, the son of Voix Du Nord led the field a merry dance and despite the persistent threat of the useful Due Reward in the latter stages, he readily held him at bay. Although he still goes a fair rip from the front, he has a far more measured approach to the game than in his formative years and, as some of today’s rivals are coming here off slightly questionable displays, Djingle is taken to exploit any weaknesses in the game.

Time may tell that DEFINITELYANOSCAR (NAP) (best price 2-1) bumped into a really well handicapped horse in the shape of Rebel Royal at Huntingdon last time out and with the vital experience of jumping fences well at pace under his belt, Harry Fry’s mare is strongly fancied to press home the advantage.

In a race run at a furious gallop at the Cambridgeshire venue thanks to the exploits of Commandant, the daughter of Oscar couldn’t go with the main pace-setters at a crucial stage of the contest, but finding her stride in the latter stages, she came home best of the rest to finish a creditable second. Looking at the numbers of that race 27 days ago, they reveal the winner ran the last circuit a full eight seconds (40 lengths) quicker than the other chase on the card, so it was little wonder the six-year-old could make any inroads into a horse that is clearly miles better than his rating of 116. Only raised a smidgen in the handicap, she rates the clear form pick based on that excellent effort and she deserves to be backed accordingly back against her own sex.