Andy Holding's Monday Racing Tips

Not much to get our teeth into today, but we do have a decent-looking Grade 3 contest for mares and its one ROYAL KAHALA (NAP) (best price 6-4) has every chance of capturing based on her brilliant record at today’s track.

A smooth winner of a bumper on her first visit to the Co Meath venue back in November, Peter Fahey’s mare was just as impressive on her hurdling debut 10 days later when she quickened away from her rivals on the run-in after travelling well throughout. Given a 51-day break, she was then raised in class to see whether her had what it takes against some quality performers from her own sex and she once again answered every call. Always travelling well in behind a decent pace set by Razzle Dazzle Love, the daughter of Flemensfirth managed to find a nice turn of foot in the conditions to scamper away from the useful and well-fancied Hook Up, and with the runner-up going on to finish a creditable fourth in a Grade 1 behind Appreciate It at Leopardstown yesterday, the form of that race looks as good as anything carried forward into today’s heat. Clearly, today’s examination up against Gauloise and several other smart mares will provide another fair test for this improving six-year-old, but she has the distinct advantage of knowing her way around this demanding track and that knowledge is likely to prove the telling factor in the final count.

AMAYSMONT (best price 3-1) is arguably slightly better at Chelmsford than anywhere else, but he also has solid C&D form at tonight’s venue and with the track likely to be harrowed fairly deep in order to keep the freezing temperatures at bay, Richard Fahey’s gelding is fancied to swoop to conqueror late in the piece.

In good form this winter with two wins against his name, the son of Mayson went really big on the numbers on the most recent of those victories at the Essex track two starts ago and he was a big fancy to repeat the dose back there two weeks later, Unfortunately, he didn’t quite get the strong pace he desires as the front-running Variyann dictated matters to suit his own agenda and it meant the four-year-old couldn’t quite reel back the front two who quickened smartly off the front. However, with tonight’s track often playing more into the hands of those who like to close from off the pace, he should have brighter prospects of the cards falling more in his favour this time around.