Tuesday Racing Tips from Andy Holding

MOGWLI (best price 11-4) ran out quite an impressive winner of a competitive heat at the Curragh on Saturday and even allowing for the fact he drops back down in trip, Willie McCreery’s gelding still rates one to keep on side.

Winless during the whole of the last campaign, the son of Bungle Inthejungle went into his opening contest this season with no more than a puncher’s chance according to the betting, but given the way he won, you’d have said he was an odds-on chance if none the wiser. The way he tanked his way through what turned out to be a strongly-run six-furlong affair very much suggests the five-year-old must have thrived over the winter and although the winning margin was only a length, he was value for more than the bare result indicated. Having gone back-to-back the last time he struck oil two years ago, it’s also worth pointing out that two of his best career efforts have taken place over today’s track, so even though this contest will require his full attention, he’s in the kind of shape to prove equal to the task.

TASHI (best price 20-1) was a shade disappointing on her final outing of the season at Doncaster, but if you are prepared to cut her some slack and focus more on her two previous performances, Sheila Lavery’s mare has to come into the reckoning on more than several counts.

Highly tried in listed company despite still being a maiden, the daughter of Kingston Hill finally delivered the goods at the 11th time of asking in a useful contest at Tipperay and then it was straight back on the hunt for some valuable black type in her last two starts of the campaign. Only beaten just over two lengths by the smart Thunder Kiss at Naas in October, she had many well-fancied and higher rated fillies in behind her that day and a repeat of somewhere near the same level of form should see her easily good enough to outrun her morning odds with a good break (can be slowly away).

A quality-looking three-year-old handicap in which both DAYMAN (NAP) (best price 9-4) and Stormy Ocean bring smart credentials to the table and of the pair, the former receives the vote on account of his proven ability to handle the track. 

A bit weak and backward as a juvenile, connections gave him plenty of time to develop after signing off at Sandown in September and judged of what we saw of him hereafter his 178-day break, he’s now somewhere close to being the finished article. The way he travelled before quickening right away from his field over seven-furlongs at the Dunstall Park venue really showcased his talents and given the way he hit the line, a step up in distance isn’t the worst shout of all time. Moreover, he appears to have been handy a fairly workable mark of 81 for his handicap debut and with his good draw likely to enable him to obtain a decent early posse, the son of Oasis Dream should have every chance at the top of the lane to strike for home.