Andy Holding's Sunday Racing Tips

MONKFISH (NAP) (best price 13-8) has already shown that he thrives given a test of stamina and with his main market rival, Festival D’Ex, unproven beyond two miles, Willie Mullins’ inmate is strongly fancied to press home that possible advantage.

A winner of a point-to-point, the son of Stowaway showed plenty of encouragement in his first start under rules when runner-up to the useful Longhouse Poet (showed smart form over hurdles this season) at the Punchestown Festival, leaving the impression that he would be seen to greater advantage when he tackles a more demanding examination. Although beaten when a well-backed favourite on his hurdling debut at Fairyhouse, the time figure and subsequent form of the race at the Co Meath has worked as such that his performance in finishing second to the potentially top-class stayer, Diol Ker, was a good deal better than first realised. Sent off 1-2 favourite when upped in trip on his return visit, the six-year-old chestnut made no mistake at the second time of asking, staying on strongly after racing with plenty of zest throughout, and providing he can switch off a little better in the early stages here this afternoon, he has every chance of booking his ticket to one of the spring festivals.

Footpad quite rightly deserves plenty of attention following his excellent effort in the King George at Kempton last time out, but at the same time, in no way should HARDLINE (best price 9-1) be totally dismissed based on the pick of his form and he rates the value call in the with and without the favourite markets.

A winner of a Grade 1 chase at Limerick last season, beating the top-class Getabird fair and square, Gordon Elliot’s inmate turned out to be a bitter disappointment when sent off favourite for the Arkle Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. Back to something like his best on his final outing of the campaign at Punchestown, the eight-year-old gelding may have finished a good deal closer to one of his rivals here today, Real Steel, had he not been badly hampered at the fourth last when going well. Finding two miles too sharp on his return to action at Navan, the son of Arcadio returned to form with a bang when runner-up to the high-class Min in the Grade 1 John Durkan Chase at Punchestown next time out and if it wasn’t for a fall at the last at Leopardstown last time, he would be arriving here with another solid performance behind him in Grade 1 company (probably would have finished a close-up fourth). Going back to that effort at the Co Kildare venue back in December, and it’s worth pointing that his old rival Real Steel was behind him back in fourth and that’s one of the main reason why Hardline makes so much appeal at the prices compared to his main opposition.

STAR ASCENDING (best price 7-2) has run well on his last two start considering the trip has been a little short of his optimum, and he’s afforded another chance to return to winning ways now back over his favoured distance of 1m4f.

A multiple winner over today’s C&D, Jennie Candlish’s gelding just got done for tactical speed when dropped to the extended 1m1f trip here two starts ago and the exact same scenario developed when he returned to the Dunstall Park venue last time out 13 days ago. On each occasion, however, the eight-year-old has still run with great credit considering the circumstances of how each race developed and with today’s contest