Andy Holding's Sunday Racing Tips

It’s fair to say not a great maiden hurdle, and it’s one that could well be within the capabilities of ROSE OF KALANISI (best price 7-1) – even more so if she can jump a little more efficiently than she did on her debut.

Sent off 66-1 following a fall and an unseat in two points, Paul Stafford’s mare was given the sort of ride to suggest connections were just happy to see her complete without mishap, but she did finish off her race better than anticipated to capture a creditable podium place behind the useful Plains Indian and a repeat of something similar might just allow her to be a little more competitive. Moreover, there will be less stress put on her suspect technique due to brush hurdle being a fixture at today’s track and with an extra half a mile also seen as a plus, the daughter Kalanisi falls into the decent each-way bet category.

Ger Lyons’ has the deserved favourite here in the shape of the potentially very smart Markaz Paname and he looks sure to be popular on account of his smooth success at Leopardstown last time out, but the Dunsany handler also has another viable contender in this contest courtesy of SH BOOM (best price 12-1) and at the morning odds, the mare receives the percentage call from an each-way stance.

A dual winner last season, including a competitive handicap over today’s C&D, the daughter of War Command ran perfectly respectably when upped in class for the first time at Leopardstown on her final start of the campaign and considering she was one of the lowest rated horses going into that listed prize, her effort deserved a good deal of praise. Back in handicap company on her opening gambit for this term just three days ago, the six-year-old was held up towards the rear of a hugely-competitive field and although she couldn’t quite land a blow at the main protagonists, she did catch the eye with the way she finished off her race. Moreover, on a day where there was a massive track bias towards those at the head of the pack (four of the seven winners made all), she was one of the few who made any noticeable ground from the back of the field and, with that performance likely to have done wonder for her levels of fitness, she’s fancied to outrun her odds if a race where several have plenty of questions to ask.