Andy Holding's Monday Racing Tips

MAC AILEY (best price 4-1) has been knocking on the door that hard this season his knuckles are beginning to bleed, but with the able assistance of William Easterby in the plate, hopefully the son of Firebreak can keep it in the family and gain a thoroughly deserved success. 

A creditable runner-up over today’s C&D on his second outing of the new campaign, Tim Easterby’s gelding went on to fill out the same spot when chasing home Haydock specialist Deinonychus in a strongly-run affair a month later. A rare blip on his dance card ensued, but he was soon back on track at Doncaster last time when he once again had to settle for the role of the bridesmaid, this time at the hands of Polyphony who once again proved her liking for the galloping nature of Town Moor. On closer inspection of the final stages of that competitive handicap 16 days ago, the numbers reveal the front two ran the last three furlongs in 33 and change, which strongly pointed towards two performers cracking on at a fair pace for horses of their grade - especially when you compare their work to the 85-rated three-year-old Thibaan. Returning to the scene of one of his better efforts this season with conditions to suit and hailing from a yard still in decent form, it’s hard to imagine anything other than a strong challenge from this consistent four-year-old. 

MEAN FOMHAIR (NAP) (best price 2-1) shaped with the utmost promise on her first outing for 297 days and with the freshness out of her system following that initial performance, the daughter of Fast Company looks poised to strike again at a track she clearly enjoys.

A huge improver last season when encountering proper testing conditions, Gerard Keane’s mare best effort came when she bolted up on her first visit to today’s C&D and that confidence-booster proved the springboard to couple of notable runner-up finishes in better races on her next two starts. Disappointing on her final outing of the campaign at Leopardstown when the first-time tongue-tie failed to work as well as anticipated, the five-year-old bounced back to something approaching her best here last time out with that contraption dispensed with, and if anything, it was her exuberance to get on with the job after a long layoff which ultimately cost her dear against the race-fit Rocket Science. Likely to be a good deal sharper in all aspects of her game, she has everything in place to her excellent course stats. 

LADY IRONSIDE (best price 10-1) has offered plenty in the way of encouragement for the future in all three starts to date and even though she has a bit to find with Alghazaal on their latest encounter, she’s fancied to at least make a bold fist of bridging the gap. 

Seen in a much better light than on debut when encountering soft ground for the first time at Killarney a month ago, the way she kept on well at the Co Kerry venue strongly suggested she’s fully at home given a test of stamina and that is one of the main reasons there’s more than a fair chance she can prove a bigger threat to the favourite than the market implies. On the evidence of her useful effort 15 days ago, a step up to 1m4f will play even more to her strengths and she rates a solid each-way proposition in field that lacks any great strength in depth.