Sunday Racing Tips from Andy Holding

DELLA CASA LUNGA (best price 4/1) faces no easy task up against two rivals who have already shown a fair degree of form at Graded level, but based on her latest victory at Leopardstown she appears to be improving at the sort of rate that she might be capable of holding her own in her toughest task to date.

A last-flight faller when holding every chance at Naas two starts ago, Sam Curling’s mare was strongly fancied to make amends at the Dublin venue a month later and, having travelled well throughout, she stayed on extremely powerfully in the closing stages to justify her position in the market.

Clocking a smart set of numbers in the process 20 days ago, she now returns to a track that saw her keep the useful Shecouldbeanything honest in a bumper under similar conditions to what she faces back in November and with today’s likely strong pace over the minimum trip set to suit (Walk With Paul the probable pace setter), the daughter of Champs Elysees can go well here before heading off to her final target of the season at Punchestown.

WHISKEYWEALTH (NAP) (best price 13/8) has been a bit of a revelation since switching his attentions to fences and he’s strongly fancied to transfer his recent form back over hurdles at a track he’s gone well in the past.

An impressive winner on his eighth start over fences, the son of Yeats continued on the same trajectory when making all the running at Clonmel for his new handler last time out and with the numbers from the Powerstown Park venue hinting in was a fair performance for a horse of his grade, it’s hard to argue with his adjusted assessment of 124.

Rated significantly lower over hurdles (112), Terence O’Brien’s gelding returns to a venue that owes him a favour or two based on what happened to him in a maiden hurdle back in 2021 (well clear when fell at the last), and with conditions set to be ideal for the seven-year-old, it would have to go down as a slight disappointment if he were to fail to deliver the goods.

CAPTAIN QUINT (best price 5/2) broke a few hearts of regular Ayr racegoers when he flawed local hero Ardera Cross in convincing fashion last time out and with that confidence-boosting victory seen as a platform from which Rose Dobbins’ gelding can build on for the remainder of the season, this largely consistent sort rates a fairly confident choice to win for the third time over fences.

A winner on chase debut at Hexham back in November, the son of Flemensfirth has certainly been kept honest up against several above-average performers up the North since and his effort when runner-up to the hugely-progressive One Fine Man over today’s course two runs ago highlights the sort of company he’s been keeping.

Just done for toe over the minimum trip that day, he seemed more comfortable over 2m4f at the Scottish venue 15 days ago and with today’s underfoot conditions also something he’s far more accustom to, the improving seven-year-old is fancied to assert his class on his eight opponents in the final of this series.