Sunday Racing Tips from Andy Holding

ASHROE DIAMOND (NAP) (best price 11/4) is one of the few genuine Grade 1 mares in the field and with several of her best performances coming at today’s venue, the combination of the two factors make her an obvious choice to end her season on a high.

A high-class performer in bumpers, Willie Mullins’ mare has continued on a similar trajectory over hurdles and after breaking her maiden in tidy fashion at Naas earlier in the campaign, she’s pretty much been dining at the top table ever since.

A creditable third behind subsequent Supreme hero, Marine Nationale, in the Royal Bond over today’s course back in November, the six-year-old mare filled out the same position behind stables companions Facile Vega and Il Etait Temps in the Grade 1 Future Champions Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown a month later. Back against her own sex at the Co Meath venue in the Solarina Novices’ Hurdle last time out, she duly took advantage of a drop in grade to account for some smart contemporaries and following that gusty success, she was expected to take her chance in the Grade 1 Mares Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Presumably side-stepping that challenge with the view to coming here instead, the daughter of Walk In The Park will hopefully be fresher than most and with today’s extra yardage also seen as a possible source of improvement, she makes plenty of appeal.

PART TIME BRITAIN (best price 4/1) never featured in the Brocklesby at Doncaster last weekend, but at the same time he did more than enough to suggest he can win or a race or two along the way and with his expected experience to stand him in good stead, he might not have to wait too long to put a tick in the win column.

Sent off 25/1 on Town Moor, David Evans’ inmate was one of the slowest away in a race where there many well-fancied juveniles and even allowing for the fact he did well to make up some of the lost leeway by halfway, he was always fighting a losing battle.

That said, he did catch the eye with the way he kept plugging away in the latter stages to finish within a respectable distance of the main players and providing the son of Massaat can break a little more favourably this time around, he has enough ability to make more of an impact.

THE GUNNER YEATS (best price 15/2) left a rather abject performance on his seasonal bow well and truly behind him on hurdling debut at Thurles last time out and, despite today’s task representing a huge step up in class, Willie Mullins’ gelding can prove himself to be the surprise package.

A 310,000euro purchase after winning a Dromahane point, the six-year-old was very much expected to pay back some of that fee in a bumper at Navan, but for reasons that were never really fully explained, he proved a bitter disappointment considering his reputation.

With bumpers soon scrapped, he was once again well-supported to redeem himself on hurdling debut at Co Tipperary venue last time and, having travelled powerfully throughout, it was easy to see what all the fuss was about in the first place.

In slamming stable mate and subsequent winner, Feu De Bresil, 25 lengths, he posted a time figure which he suggested he deserved to be on a bigger stage and with today’s 2m4f journey and galloping track set to suit, it would come as no major surprise if he were to ruffle a few feathers.

SPILLANE’S TOWER (best price 3/1) landed an above-average maiden in the style of a pretty smart novice and with connections seemingly more than happy to allow their charge easy access to handicap company, Jimmy Mangan’s gelding can go a long way to justify their confidence.

Promising in a bumper here on his only start last season, the five-year-old created a favourable impression on his first outing over hurdles at Wexford back in October and with the winner, Imagine, now rated 136 after finishing a creditable fifth in the Martin Pipe at the Cheltenham Festival, his performance reads even better than it did on the day.

Making no mistake of a decent opportunity presented to him at Navan last time out, the form of his victory has been subsequent boosted by many of those who finished in behind and with an opening mark of 126 likely to be left well behind during the remainder of his career, there’s every chance he will blow it apart at the first time of asking.