Andy Holding's Sunday Racing Tips

DAWSON CITY (best price 22-1) was a very respectable fifth in this corresponding race last season and following a nice pipe-opener in the Cross Country Chase at Cheltenham’s November meeting a month ago, Polly Gundry’s gelding is fancied to better that finishing position.

Following that sound effort at the Borders venue, the 10-year-old then went on to run with great credit in the Welsh National and that teed him up nicely for his only success of last term courtesy of Devon National at Exeter two months later. A proper dyed-in-the-wool stayer who needs at least three miles before he gets warmed up, the son of Midnight Legend is one of the few in today’s field with proven form in big races over marathon trips and he can put all that knowledge to good use against several who have sexier profiles, but not his experience.

BURLESQUE QUEEN (NAP) (best price 4-1) still appears to be on the improve on the evidence of her latest victory at Clonmel and the daughter of Gold Well is strongly fancied to vindicate that impression in a race where there doesn’t look to be a whole raft of obvious candidates.

A smooth winner at the same Powerstown Park venue three starts ago, Liz Doyle’s mare tackled today’s C&D for the first time two weeks later and after travelling up looking the most likely winner rounding the home turn, she couldn’t quite muster up the same finishing kick as the progressive Premier D’Troice (now runs in the care of Archie Watson). She did, however, pull nicely clear of the rest and with the time figure also good, it came as no surprise to see her justify the form and win in the style she did back at her happy hunting ground 24 days ago. A smooth traveller with a nice turn of foot relative for this kind of grade, the five-year-old mare should still be competitive despite the handicapper trying his best to intervene.

MANDALAYAN (best price 4-1) shaped well in an above-average event on his hurdling debut for new connections at Taunton and he’s fancied to build on that opening gambit and be even more competitive in this similar-looking contest.

A useful mid-80’s performer on the Flat for Jonathan Portman, the son of Arakan was fancied to go well on his first start over hurdles 24 days ago and although he couldn’t quite get the job done at the West Country venue, he did more than enough to suggest he has a bright future at the winter game. Outpaced before running on well in the final half a mile, Warren Greatrex’s new recruit still ended up posting a decent speed figure by finishing a close-up third to the well-fancied Wild Max and, with today’s conditions likely to be pretty similar, the four-year-old should be good enough to hit the frame at the very least.