Andy Holding's Sunday Racing Tips

FUTURE PROOF (NAP) (best price 5-2) has been in cracking form under both codes in the last two months and he looks set to gain just rewards for his levels of consistency in what appears on paper, a much weaker race than he’s been contesting of late.

Although he’s yet to win in five starts over hurdles, his body of work includes a creditable three-length defeat at the hands of Champion Hurdle aspirant Coeur Sublime and a three-quarters-of-a-length second to last year’s Fred Winter hero, Band Of Outlaws. Disappointing when failing to land the odds on his seasonal comeback, that defeat could have been put down to lack of fitness after a 156-day break and his subsequent performances on the Flat certainly suggest it couldn’t have been down to lack of ability. Runner-up in a hot 1m4f handicap at Leopardstown next time, Noel Meade’s gelding arguably turned in a career-high effort when third in the October Premier Handicap over the same C&D on his most recent start and these two displays represent levels of achievement that none of his eight rivals have managed to get anywhere near. Up to now, all his best form over hurdles has come about racing right-handed on soft ground and with his yard continuing to thrive during the early winter months, the son of Dream Ahead is strongly fancied to have his day in the sun.

ALLEZ KAL (best price 18-1) could never land any sort of blow against the main players in last week’s ultra-competitive Brown Lad Handicap at Navan, but as that race was a good bit better than today’s heat and she fared best of those that were held up off the pace, James Barcoe’s mare is certainly worth more than a second look at her morning odds around a track that has served her well in the past.

In what looked a quality renewal of that prestigious handicap at the Co Meath track eight days ago, the pace on the final lap was unrelenting and it was noticeable that the first three home all raced prominently throughout. Therefore, the daughter of Kalanisi didn’t run as badly as the losing margin suggested and it at least proved that she’s heading back in the right direction. Third in a red-hot C&D handicap on her last visit to today’s Co Mallow venue, the eight-year-old had previous accounted for a stellar field at the same track two months earlier and, likely to be given a patient ride out the back, her late charge can be seen to good effect where it matters most.

SAINT CALVADOS (best price 4-1) probably isn’t a genuine Grade 1 horse like the big two in the market, Defi Du Seuil and Politologue, but he does have fitness on his side and he can use that slight edge to advantage under today’s prevailed conditions.

After losing his way slightly towards the backend of last season, Harry Whittington’s gelding had his sights lowered considerably on his opening start to this campaign and, racing in a handicap for the first time for well over a year, he took advantage of the ease in grade to score in game fashion over today’s C&D. Handling the testing conditions well, the son of Saint Des Saints also showed that a recent wind-op had stood the test and hailing from a yard whose horses seem to be bursting out of their skins at present, he’s fancied to keep up the good work for the in-form Sparsholt handler.

Time Flies By got the job done nicely on his debut over today’s C&D at the last meeting, but back in second was Butte Montana from the Fergal O’Brien and that should give the Gloucestershire handler an idea of where he stands as he sends his promising BRIEF AMBITION (best price 7-1) to do battle against Nicky Henderson’s hotpot.

Sent to the Midland venue with a decent reputation off the back of an impressive point-to-point win, the son of Yeats travelled like a useful horse in what turned out to be a well-contested and strongly run affair 24 days ago, and although he only managed to scrape home in the dying strides, the numbers suggest it was an extremely hot race of its kind. Likely to ridden with a view to find the best ground here today courtesy of the hugely underrated Paddy Brennan on board, the five-year-old can creep into the race before being delivered with a telling late challenge up the nearside fence.