Sunday Racing Tips from Andy Holding

RED BALL OF FIRE (best price 5/2) has yet to run a bad race in four starts at today’s venue and with the latest of those efforts tinged with a shade of ill fortune, the locally-trained mare has a decent chance of making amends back over hurdles. 

An eye-catcher at the Cleveragh venue on the Flat three starts ago, the daughter of Canford Cliffs was well backed to confirm that initial impression back over the same C&D a month later, but after travelling well and looking the likeliest winner throughout, she was rather sent down a blind alley up the inside down the home straight and she ended up having to settle for a minor role. At least that performance went some way to confirming her current wellbeing and with the five-year-old mare having the perfect 2-2 record over today’s hurdles course, she makes plenty of appeal to complete the hat trick under ideal conditions.

A tricky handicap to decipher, as the market suggests, but there’s a good deal of mileage in thinking HOOPER (NAP) (best price 3/1) might have what it takes to land such a prize at a track that has seen him shine brightly on several occasions in the past. 

A winner of a bumper here back in 2020, Nicky Henderson’s gelding has subsequently gone on to make it 2-2 over hurdles at the Midland venue and if it wasn’t for a last fence fall on his debut over fences, he’d almost certainly arrive here with an unbeaten record around this sharp, left-handed track. Shaping as though in need of the run on his comeback at Uttoxeter over hurdles after a 203-day break (Hurricane Ali won twice since), the son of Rip Van Winkle disappointed last time out over fences at the same venue but, as it wouldn’t have been the first time he’d jumped badly left when tackling the larger obstacles, his run can easily be brushed under the carpet. Back over hurdles, down to his optimum trip and off his old winning mark of 132, the six-year-old can’t have many excuses for not going well at his happy hunting ground.