Andy Holding's Sunday Racing Tips

CHAIRMANOFTHEBOARD’S (best price 4-1) performance when fifth in the Steward’s Cup back here in July says a lot of how far Mick Channon’s gelding has come this season after a period in the wilderness and although conditions are a good deal different for his return visit, he’s still fancied to continue his good series of results.

A wildly impressive winner over today’s C&D on his debut two years ago, as a result, big things were expected from the son of Slade Power from that moment on, but for one reason or another, he could never meet the expectations of his connections. However, the decision to geld the four-year-old seemed to spark some sort of revival and with the corner well and truly turned, he now appears to be back to the kind of level his lofty early rating implied. A smooth winner at Windsor on his second outing since racing resumed, he followed up with another comfortable success at Newmarket two runs later and those two victories proved the platform for his latest effort in one of the most competitive sprint handicaps of the season. Although out of the frame at the Sussex venue, his close-up fifth makes for positive reading in the grand scheme of things and having coped with conditions similar to what he faces today in the past, he has enough class to defy top weight.

The combination of Fergal O’Brien and Paddy Brennan are a pretty irresistible force at present and they look to team up again to good effect with IMPERIAL ELYSIAN (NAP) (best price 7-4) in this decent handicap hurdle.

The son of Kalanisi rounded off last season with a couple of wins in the style of a progressive handicapper and he began where he left off by scoring on his opening gambit of this term at Southwell. In what turned out to be a well-run affair, the six-year-old stayed on very strongly in the latter stages to pull nicely clear of a competitive field and it was a performance thoroughly deserving of a decent hike in the ratings. Just as effective on a soft surface as he was on good ground 31 days ago, this uncomplicated and likable character can continue his unrelenting march up the ladder.

Sometimes we are guilty of missing the blatantly obvious things in life and that indiscretion would apply here for those who didn’t see IMADA (best price 3-1) as the most likely winner of this competitive handicap chase.

Very lightly-raced for a 10-year-old, he clearly has had one or two niggly issues along the way that has prevented him from going to the very top, but when he does turn up to do battle, he often manages to run to a decent standard, as proved last time out at Bangor. Always going well off the back of a strong gallop set at the Welsh venue, Nicky Richards’ gelding stormed to the front after jumping the second last and from that juncture he powered clear of his seven rivals to score by a resounding 15 lengths. Not only was he visually impressive, his overall time figure and final lap sectionals were by miles the best of the four chase races on the card 32 days ago and with the runner-up, Potterman, going on to boost the form in the best possible fashion next time out, even a chunky hike in the ratings might not be enough to prevent him from following suit. Moreover, the son of Arcadio has solid form over today’s course courtesy of a game victory over Boys On Tour here last year and now that he’s proven he stays three miles well, confidence is high he can keep the excellent run of his stable going in the right direction.

SWORD OF FATE (best price 8-1) posted some pretty impressive numbers for a horse of his grade at Cartmel last time out, so it might just all boil down whether he is in a similar frame of mind 23 days on rather than any other potential complications.

Disappointing when said to have badly needed the run on his first run after 145 days here a month ago, Leonard Kent’s gelding travelled with a good deal more purpose at the Cumbrian venue and he also impressed with how much he found off the bridle on the long run-in, fending off the late challenge of the locally-trained, Lough Kent. Despite the race looking an ordinary 0-115 Class 4 chase beforehand, the overall time figure ended up being the best on the eight-race card and that revelation was bolstered by the fact the son of Beneficial also managed to run the final circuit quicker than the 132-rated Seddon, who landed the classiest race on the card half an hour later. Based on that knowledge, the seven-year-old has clearly been misrepresented with only a 4lb hike in the ratings and having scored two in the past over a similar distance to the one he faces today, a big run seems the likely conclusion to his afternoon’s work.