Monday Horse Racing Tips from Andy Holding

HAUMEA (best price 10-1) has hinted she has her fair share of ability in three starts to date and with an opening mark of 67 not seen as too penal, Sir Mark Prescott’s filly is fancied to make some sort of impact on handicap debut. 

Held up at the rear on her latest outing at Thirsk, the daughter of Invincible Spirit was noted going well approaching the two-furlong pole but despite making eye-catching progress towards the main players late on, she ultimately didn’t have sufficient time to land a blow. 

Shaping as though an extra furlong wouldn’t go amiss, she heads into her first foray in this discipline with a profile to suggest she should at least be reasonably competitive and providing she handles today’s softer underfoot conditions (ran well on heavy first time out), hopefully things will work out that way.

FOUR ADAAY (best price 5-1) fared best of those who were ridden off the pace at Sandown last time out and with that effort yet another to indicate Rod Millman’s filly remains in excellent shape, she makes plenty of each-way appeal back at a track where she has performed well on her three previous visits. 

A game winner at Newmarket in the height of summer, she has yet to run a bad race since despite not managing to get her head back in front, but on the evidence of what occurred at the Esher venue 10 days ago, it surely can’t be too long before she returns to winning ways.

In a race dominated by the front-running Dolly Gray from stall 1, the daughter of Adaay languished in the cheap seats towards the rear until a powerful finish carried her into the runner-up berth close home and a repeat of somewhere near the same level of form should see her there or thereabouts again. 

EASTERN LEGEND (NAP) (best price 11-4) impressed with his never-say-die attitude in victory at Listowel last week and with connections willing to throw caution to the wind in a bid to follow up, it can pay to keep Jim Bolger’s inmate on side despite the quick turnaround. 

A creditable third in a race that has worked out well at The Curragh previously, the three-year-old was significantly upped in trip for his latest encounter at the Co Kerry venue and it took him every yard of the 1m6f journey to finally get the better of pace-setting Pinot Gris.

Having looked in trouble leaving the back straight and through most of the last two furlongs, he finally found the necessary requirements to steal the prize late on and with the time figure suggesting it was another notable effort by the son of Teofilo, he has now opened further options going forward regards trip. 

Seemingly well suited by a decent test (Out On Friday should go a decent gallop), the first-time cheekpieces are added to provide him with some extra assistance and safe in the knowledge he is also proven over today’s track, everything looks in place for another bold show.