Sunday Racing Tips from Andy Holding

FIRST LORD DE CUET (NAP) (best price 2/1) did just about everything right all bar the last 50 yards at Ffos Las on his first start for 571 days last month and with that all-important run bound to have brought him forward from a fitness sense, David Pipe’s grey is fancied to gain compensation. 

Runner-up on his two previous outings over fences, the son of Lord Du Sud faced what looked on paper a bit of a baptism of fire on his comeback run, but despite the strength of opposition, he managed to perform to somewhere close to a career high. 

Travelling and jumping well at the Welsh venue, the nine-year-old swept to the front at the third last and after going clear, it looked like he’d got the race in the bag. Unfortunately for him and his supporters, he got picked off in the closing stages by a horse who stays extremely well (won last year’s EBF Final at Sandown) but with a large gap back to the likes of Bowtogreatness and Current Mood and the time figure extremely good, the form looks solid. 

Although yet to run over fences at today’s track, it’s worth pointing out he ran very well on his only start over hurdles back in 2021 and with conditions set to suit (his three career wins have all come on soft or heavy ground), confidence is high he can make up for lost time.

A race dominated by Messrs Elliott and Mullins in the last decade and this year’s renewal is likely to prove no different with IRISH POINT (best price 9/4) just gaining the vote over Grangeclare West on value grounds. 

A Grade 1 bumper winner when housed in France, the son of Joshua Tree was picked up by current connections thereafter and on the evidence of his two starts from his Co Meath base, he looks a very useful addition to their ranks of top-notch novice hurdlers. 

A bloodless winner on hurdling debut at Cork, the five-year-old was pitched into the deep end of a white hot-looking Royal Bond at Fairyhouse on his next outing and in what turned out to be a strongly run affair, he only found one too good. 

Obviously, he faces another quality bunch of novices here this afternoon but, as he is the only runner in the field with solid Grade 1 form, his experience in that department should hopefully count for plenty over a trip that threatens to suit.