Sunday Racing Tips from Andy Holding

MOSS TUCKER (NAP) (best price 11/4) seems to be getting better and better with each run and with that view being confirmed with one of his career highs over today’s C&D last time out, Ken Condon’s star sprinter can continue his progression up the ranks.

Shaping as though badly in need of the run on his first run for 167 days behind Tenebrism at Cork, the five-year-old was out for revenge over his old rival three weeks later at the Co Kildare venue and, having travelled strongly throughout, he never looked like relinquishing the lead he had established from an early stage.

Clearly just as good, if not better, over five furlongs than six, the son of Excelebration returns to the scene of his finest set of figures with the bit between his teeth and even though today’s conditions are due to be a good deal quicker on this occasion, he has enough credit in the bank on decent ground to warrant keeping him on side.

WEST OF WICHITA (best price 14/1) slipped into one or two notebooks with her encouraging display on debut at Cork and although today’s jump in class may seem a leap of faith by connections at first glance, she might have the sufficient qualities to justify such a bold move.

Quietly fancied among the 13-strong field at the Mallow venue (sent of 15-2), Keith Coleman’s filly virtually blew any chance she had of vindicating her single figure price by being slowly away and jumping out to her right on stalls exit and from that point it was always going to be an exercise in damage limitation.

However, what she achieved in the final two furlongs was the promising aspect of her performance and as such, she may not be the no-hoper today’s odds suggest. Finishing off her race strongest of all, she hit the line with plenty of purpose and it is easy to imagine that with a better start, she would have gone close to winning at the first time of asking. With that in mind, her 16-1 morning quotes compared to the two who finished ahead of her 16-1 days appear a little unjust and with today’s extra furlong likely to play heavily into her strengths on the evidence of her first day at school, the daughter of Sioux Nation can take the expected step forward in her bid to gain valuable black type.