Monday Racing Tips from Andy Holding

First-time blinkers really galvanised MICKYH (best price 4-1) back to something like his best form at Stratford last time out and, having already shown a liking for today’s venue earlier this season, Adam West’s gelding is fancied to repeat the dose. 

Making pretty much all the running at the Midland venue, the son of Sageburg was also always to the fore when scoring over today’s course back in January, so one would imagine he will be asked to race fairly prominently again now dropping back down in trip. The way he handled good ground eight days ago also suggests he is just as comfortable on a better surface and with his backend sectionals, that day on-par with two-mile winner Midnight Callisto (rated 104), just a mandatory rise in the ratings shouldn’t be enough to prevent the six-year-old from being competitive again if in a similar mood.

DARASSO (best price 6-1) has been dining at the top table for the thick end of two season now, with plenty of success along the way, and having already accounted for Sire Du Berlais during the course of this season, Joseph O’Brien’s gelding can claim a few more scalps in this opening-looking Grade 2. 
Since that victory in the Lismullen Hurdle back in November, the son of Konig Turf has finished a creditable fourth in the Grade1 Hatton’s Grace behind Honeysuckle, beaten a smart field in the Lismullen Hurdle and acquitted himself with distinction in the Red Mills Trial Hurdle at Gowran, all performances of some note. Finding two miles – even on heavy ground – too sharp a test at the Co Kenny venue two months ago, the nine-year-old has been freshened up nicely since and with a profile that strongly suggests he’s likely to run his race more than most, he makes perfect sense from an each-way perspective. 

ANNUAL INVICTUS (NAP) (best price 9-4) has been a little under par of late but, as some of those performances can be put down to unsuitable soft ground, a return to a better surface should see Chris Gordon’s gelding maintain his terrific record at today’s track. 

Pitched into Grade 2 level at Ascot when last seen, the son of Mahler ran respectably despite not seeing out the three-mile trip as well as anticipated and you can see why connections were tempted by the extra distance given the way he finished off his race over today’s C&D previously. Going back to that slightly odd run here in January, his rather Jekyll and Hyde performance can be put down to his inability to hold his position on soft ground, but with no excuses on that front this afternoon, a repeat of any other of his three previous efforts over fences should see him right in the thick of the action.

Both My Astra and Popanova will be popular here given their profiles and sets of connections, but it may pay to stick with ROMAN MIST (best price 7-2) who has both confirmed fitness and track form on his side. 

A likeable and consistent three-year-old good enough to finish runner-up in a Listed race at Lingfield on his final start, Tom Ward’s grey was surprisingly very easy to back on his comeback run over today’s C&D 19 days ago, but his easiness in the market didn’t prevent him from running an absolute stormer. The way he finished off his race in the closing stages suggested he’s as good as ever and with the speed figure also very good, he arrives here with a body of work under his belt – particularly on an all-weather surface – that not many of his rivals can match. 

The showers which fell in the Co Meath area yesterday were very much welcomed in many quarters, none more so than by the connections of DIOL KER (best price 20-1), and the son of Martaline can prove that given a proper test of stamina at this sort of trip will really play into his strengths. 

It’s fair to say Noel Meade’s gelding struggled to scale the heights he achieved over hurdles in the early days of his chasing career, largely due to his poor initial jumping technique, but as time has progressed, he’s really started to get his act together and now he is much more like the finished article. A creditable fourth in the Thyestes Chase at Gowran two starts ago, the eight-year-old pieced all his knowledge together when capturing the Leinster National at Navan last time out and the feature of that performance was not only the smart time figure, but how strong he was in the finish. Good enough to finish fifth to the top-class Envoi Allen in a bumper here earlier in his career, his track stats since then read 1342 and with some of his very best speed figures suggesting he shouldn’t have too many issues going with the likely strong pace, this still relatively unexposed chaser can provide his supporters with a decent spin.

Another who likes it here at the Co Meath venue is RONALD PUMP (best price 22-1) and although he is probably better known for his exploits over hurdles, he has enough decent form over fences to warrant a small interest. 

Runner-up in the 2020 Stayers’ Hurdle, Matthew Smith’s gelding has yet to win a race since, but when you consider some of his efforts in defeat have been at the very highest standard, he probably deserves to be cut a bit of slack. Indeed, since landing a novices’ chase here back in 2019, his last three runs at the track have seen him finish runner-up to likes of Fakir D’Oudairies and Honeysuckle at Grade 1 level and there’s not many in today’s line-up that would harbour than sort of class. A game runner-up to the main selection, Diol Ker, in the Leinster National on his most recent start, he clearly isn’t too shabby over the larger obstacles, so it wouldn’t come as any great surprise to see the classy son of Schiaparelli run a big race back at his happy hunting ground.