Andy Holding's Sunday Racing Tips

Aidan O’Brien has made a spectacular start to the new season and with the master of Ballydoyle looking particularly strong in the three-year-old middle-distance department, WILLOW (NAP) (best price 7-4) can put some sort of early marker down for the Oaks.

A shade disappointing on her first two starts as a juvenile, the daughter of American Pharaoh was sent to Leopardstown for her final outing the season and in what turned out to be a keenly-contested and well-run affair, she finally delivered the goods. Noted travelling strongly just in behind the pace as the field turned for home, she was pulled out to make her challenge at the two-furlong pole and from that point onward, she gradually lengthened away from her rivals to score with plenty in hand. On the evidence of what transpired on that afternoon back in October, this beautifully bred filly really came into her own when faced with a proper test and with the probability that she makes into a better three-year-old given her physique, it makes perfect sense she is trained towards middle-distances this season, rather than the inadequacies of trips in and around a mile. Although fitness for today is taken on trust (trainer states she will come on for the run), there’s plenty of confidence to be drawn from the fact many of her inmates have scored at the first time of asking so far this term and while it wouldn’t be the end of the world if she were to get beaten after a 191-day break, one would hope she’s good enough to get the job done if she is to become a bona-fide Classic contender further down the line.

Santiago sets a very high standard based on his performances against some of the best stayers around last season and, in a race in which Aidan O’Brien has done particularly well over the years, he looks a worthy market leader. Away from his obvious-looking claims, the battle for minor honours looks up for grabs and there’s a decent chance SUNCHART (best price 9-2) will take advantage of his potential fitness edge based on his excellent comeback effort at Naas recently.

Expected to make into a smart stayer this term based on some of his better displays as a three-year-old, the chances the son of Teofilo would find the journey of 1m2f too sharp on his seasonal return were pretty high, so the fact he ended up being the only one to offer any resistance to the top-class Broome in the latter stages is testimony to his quality.

Not quite at his best when racing too freely in the St Leger last season, Andrew Slattery’s gelding is probably better judged on his performance against the very useful filly, Pista, at Leopartstown over today’s trip a month earlier and a repeat of the same level of form should see him play a prominent role here this afternoon.