Andy Holding's Tuesday Racing Tips

The first day of the Punchestown Festival is upon us but other than a couple of races, it’s an afternoon for the purist with not too many attractive betting heats. Echoes In Rain is fancied to come out on top of the battle for Closutton bragging rights in the first of the Grade 1’s, but she’s been priced accordingly, while the same comments apply to Monkfish who’s expected to remain unbeaten for the season at the main expense of Cheltenham flop Envoi Allen.

For those of us who like to rewarded at better odds for solving trickier puzzles, race one falls neatly into that category and both FIGHTING FIT (best price 10-1) and DJASEK (best price 14-1) have decent chances of being competitive on the pick of their best form.

The former already has a C&D victory to his name courtesy of an easy success here back in December and he went on to prove that win was no fluke with an even smoother performance at Thurles next time out. Sent to Fairyhouse to contest his toughest assignment to date, Philip Dempsey’s gelding acquitted himself with great credit by finishing a creditable third behind ready winner Shanroe, and with the time figure of the race strongly hinting it was an above-average one for the grade (much quicker than the Grade 2 juvenile contest on the same card), his effort deserves extra praise. Having proven he can handle a slightly quicker surface that day, today’s conditions shouldn’t pose too many problems and being one of the few in the line-up who has a fast time figure in a big-field handicap, odds around the 10-1 with five and six places on offer about the son of Kayf Tara make plenty of appeal.

The latter also has a decent body of work in similar handicaps and although he has yet to get his head in front in one of them, it’s surely only a matter of time before his luck turns. Unlucky when squeezed out on the home turn at Naas two starts ago, Tony Martin’s gelding was then given too much to do in a well-run contest at Navan a month later but at least he came out best of those who were ridden well off the pace. Arriving here off a useful effort on the Flat behind a well-backed improver, the five-year-old is likely to be finishing off his race better than most and he, too, can make his presence felt at the business end.

RUAILLE BUAILLE (best price 12-1) finished a close-up third in a similar race to this at Fairyhouse last time out and with today’s better ground likely to suit more than most, Willie Mullins’ mare can end her season on a high.

A smooth winner under similar conditions over today’s C&D back in September, the daughter of Salutino wasn’t quite so effective on her next four starts due to much softer winter ground, but even so, she still managed to finish a respectable eighth in a red-hot race at Leopardstown’s Dublin racing festival and she achieved that feat despite being hampered halfway down the back straight. Similar to many out of that heat back in February, she went on to boost the form with a solid run of her own at the Co Meath venue 24 days ago and a repeat of something on the same level should see her good enough to be in the mix at rewarding odds.

Without question, ALLAHO (best price 15-8), pound-for-pound, produced the most devastatingly brilliant performance of the Cheltenham Festival and providing that extraordinary performance hasn’t left a mark, Willie Mullins’ gelding has a decent chance of ending his season on a high.

Back in his formative years, connections clearly though the son of No Risk At All had the capabilities to become a Gold Cup horse, hence their persistence in running him over three miles, but as time has moved on, it’s become pretty clear he just wants to let rip and show all his exuberance over shorter trips.

Since settling for 2m4f, the seven-year-old has proved to be much more at ease and following a smooth success in a Grade 2 at Thurles, he went on to register his biggest win to date in the Ryanair at Cheltenham last time out. Setting off at a tremendous pace 40 days ago, he had most of his rivals on their knees by the time he’d jumped the water (top-class horses such as Samcro, Imperial Aura, Min, Melon and Chris’s Dream all pulled-up) and in maintaining the relentless gallop all the way to the line, he went on to record one of the fastest furlong-per-furlong times of the meeting. Form-wise, the race has worked out as well as anticipated with the likes of Fakir D’Oudairies and Mister Fisher flying the flag since and even though it is tempting to keep him in his lane and remain the dominant force in that division, the experiment of dropping him back to see what he can do over the minimum trip, has to be the wisest policy going forward. Although he ran poorly on his first start of the season here back in December, hold-up tactics clearly didn’t suit this free-going type and now likely to be given a bolder ride similar to last time back at the Co Kildare venue, hopefully Allaho can set the pulses racing yet again.