Andy Holding's Sunday Racing Tips

Some of last season’s best mares’ novices take to the floor in what looks a cracking renewal of this listed contest but the chances are they can’t all be at their peak, so with that in mind, there’s a strong possibility that DYSART DIAMOND (best price 9-2) can take advantage of her race fitness and get amongst the big players.

A three-time winner over hurdles, Willie Mullins’ mare recorded the latest of those successes at the Listowel festival, beating a competitive field of handicappers with a bit to spare, and off the back of that performance (big speed figure), she was understandably a warm order to repeat the dose in a three-runner affair here last time. Unfortunately for her, the race predictably ended up being a tactical affair and, as a result, she found herself vulnerable to the late kick of the useful Wolf Prince. Disappointing though it was at the time, the form at least has been boosted by the well-beaten Koshari going on to score at Aintree last weekend, and with today’s likely stronger gallop sure to see her in a much better light, the daughter of Shirocco is fancied to make her presence felt and justify each-way support. 

A cracking renewal of this much-sought-after handicap hurdle and with the Irish capturing this prize for the first time for a while with The Shunter last year, there’s a chance that either BUA BOY (best price 16-1) or ADVANCED VIRGO (best price 9-1) can keep the prize in the Emerald Ilse.

The former fared best of the pair in arguably the most competitive handicap hurdle run at the Listowel Festival back in September, finishing a creditable runner-up to the useful mare Dysart Diamond, and with the fourth home, Eskylane, going on to boost the form at Down Royal recently, it’s fair to say Denis Hogan’s inmate probably has a better chance of going one better here than his morning odd imply. Moreover, his previous effort at the Galway Festival when he just got collared by Arcadian Sunrise was equally good on the figures and with his solid background of displays in strongly-run, big field two miles one of a thoroughly consistent and reliable performer at this level, anything other than a finish in the top half-a-dozen would come across as something of a disappointment.

The latter hails from a yard who have already struck oil at this fixture already, so that’s not bad for starters, and then if you add into the mix his last two performances under both codes, his claims become even stronger. Fifth in the aforementioned two-mile handicap at Listowel, the son of Holy Roman Emperor ran even better on the Flat last time out when storming home up the unfavourable part of the track in the October Handicap at Leopardstown 29 days ago and with the strong likelihood that he will be well suited to the rigours of today’s contest, Charles Byrnes’ gelding rates a must for the shortlist.

SASSY YET CLASSY (best price 10-1) shaped pretty well on her seasonal return at Clonmel last time out and with the likelihood of today’s contest panning out a little more favourably this time around, Gordon Elliott’s mare can reward solid each-way support.

Held up way off the pace at the Powerstown Park venue, the seven-year-old found herself in a precarious position at the halfway stage, being a little way detached from two who forged an early advantage, and even though she ended up being the only one who broke free of the chasing pack to throw down a late challenge, she couldn’t quite reel back the race-fit favourite, First Touch. Moreover, she was also produced to challenge on the unfavourable inside of the track – a manoeuvre which was always likely to backfire - so to come out of the contest 17 days ago with a close-up third-place finish against the bias has to go down as a very commendable return to action following a 24-1day break. Runner-up in a similar contest to today’s over today’s C&D last season, the daughter of Gold Well wasn’t rated high enough to make it to the final of the Pertemps series even though she qualified, but with a strong possibility she will work her way up the ratings sufficiently enough to realise her ultimate target a year further down the line, a positive outcome can start the ball rolling for her and her connections (a top-six finish automatically qualifies for the final). 

The locally-trained Natural History is bound to be a popular choice among the regulars and if he settles, there’s little doubt he has the ability to win a race of this nature. He does, however, face an in-form rival in the shape of QUINTA DO MAR (best price 9-4) and at the morning odds, Ben Pauling’s gelding makes the most appeal.

Held in high regard as a novice, it’s probably fair to say the son of Califet didn’t quite realise his maximum potential but on the evidence of what we saw of him at Carlisle on his seasonal return, he looked to be finally coming of age. The way he travelled throughout the well-run affair at the Cumbrian venue suggested a mark of 121 was some way short of his true worth and even though a 9lb rise in the ratings was probably fair enough, he still gets a chance to run against Class 3 opposition.