Andy Holding's Monday Racing Tips

TOROCHICA (best price 10-1) has just been on the fringes of the main action since returning from a lucrative spell out in St Moritz but she has dropped to a tantalisingly low mark that should allow her to be competitive in this modest-looking Class 5 contest.

Looking in need of her first two runs of the season when her stable was going through a quiet spell, the daughter of Toronado has shown a little better form in her last two starts starting with a fair effort in a well-run heat at Sandown last time. Although she eventually finished just outside the money at the Esher track, she looked likely to play a hand in the outcome two out when she swept to the front but considering she was drawn wide that evening and the numbers for a Class 4 race of that nature were very good, it wasn’t a bad effort in the context of today’s affair. In deep again at Newbury last time out, John Best’s filly came unstuck in another very strongly run race on ground way too soft for her liking but now returning to a better surface from a yard recapturing a nice bit of form in the last week or so (3 winners from their last 11 runners), the four-year-old chestnut may prove a little more competitive than her morning odds suggest.

MIG DES TAILLONS (NAP) (best price 3-1) benefitted from a more position ride when scoring with any amount in hand at Down Royal last time out and even though the handicapper has done a little to try and spare his blushes again this afternoon, there’s a fair chance this in-form five-year-old remains ahead of the game. 

Heavily backed to make a winning start for rookie trainer Patrick Turley at Tramore on his first outing for 152 days, the son of Montmatre was never in the sort of position to justify the money in his direction and in the end, he did well to finish runner-up to the all-the-way winner Trees Valley. Once again extremely well-supported before his latest encounter at the Co Down venue, this time the chestnut was always in a more prominent position and after picking up the running going well at the top of the hill, he never looked like relinquishing his advantage. Indeed, the way he was eased down in the closing stages strongly suggested he had more in hand than the bare result indicated and with today’s conditions pretty similar to what they were 10 days ago, confidence if fairly high this revitalised character can keep up the good work.