Sunday Racing Tips from Andy Holding

An absolutely cracking renewal of this limited novices’ chase which is quite likely to work out to be an informative affair and of those making their eagerly-awaited chasing debut, HARPER’S BROOK (best price 5/1) makes the most appeal at the morning prices.

A useful hurdler, albeit not quite good enough to reach Graded level he was pitched into halfway through the campaign, Ben Pauling’s inmate rounded off last season with a confidence-boosting victory at Ffos Las and even though he was raised to a mark of 127 as a result, it’s a rating he will surely leave well behind him now embarking a discipline which was always going to be his true destiny.

Good enough to score at the first time of asking over today’s course at this very meeting last year, no doubt connections have had this race in mind for quite some time and being a former 2m4f point winner on soft ground, conditions should be ideal for him to make a big impact.

WOR VERGE (best price 7/2) arrives here in top shape following a convincing success over today’s C&D and with fitness on his side also likely to prove a major advantage, Susan Corbett’s gelding is fancied to go one place better than he did in this race last season.

Shaping as though badly needing the on his first start for 181 days at Perth a month ago, the nine-year-old duly left that run behind him in no uncertain terms and it was a victory that was a long time in the making judged on all his other previous efforts at the Cumbrian track.

Once confirming he was in decent form twelve months ago, it’s noticeable that he went on to maintain that level until tailing off in the New Year and having won under testing conditions in the past, today’s ground will suit him more than most.

OPTIONAL MIX (NAP) (best price 7/4) has already suggested she’s going to be a better chaser than she was over hurdles and following a career-high effort in a useful handicap at Limerick last time out, Eion Doyle’s mare is fancied to continue her upward curve.

A consistent performer over hurdles without reaching any great heights, the daughter of Carlotamix just took three starts to make a bigger impact over fences in a beginners’ chase at Thurles and since then she has finished runner-up twice after returning from a Summer break.

Well-backed on her latest encounter a week ago, the six-year-old was just run out of the argument late on by the patiently-ridden Gevrey, but with the time figure, both overall and final circuit sectionals, suggesting it was an above-average contest for the grade, a repeat of the same level of form should see her hard to beat in this similar heat.