Sunday Horse Racing Tips from Andy Holding

ROB ROY MACGREGOR (best price 5-1) has twice left the impression he may require further than two miles to be seen to best advantage over hurdles and with connections soon to recognise that viewpoint, Sandy Thomson’s inmate can play a significant part to the outcome of this novices’ event. 

A winner of a bumper on his debut at Carlisle last season, the six-year-old was just found wanting in the closing stages of a slowly run, tactical affair on his opening bow over hurdles here back in October, but in a more sternly run contest back at the Yorkshire venue last time, he produced a much better effort.

Keeping on well in the latter stages of a well-run race, he went through the line with plenty of purpose and, as a result, his overall speed figure he posted was by far and away his best so far to date.

Although there are a few who have run to a fair standard so far over hurdles, this race looks slightly weaker than the one he faced 28 days ago and with an extra three quarters of a mile likely to play into his strengths, the son of Walk In The Park makes plenty of appeal at the morning odds. 1

CRACKING RHAPSODY (best price 2-1) may have lost his unbeaten record over hurdles last time out, but the numbers he posted at Carlisle suggested he improved his initial performance even in defeat and with today’s contest likely to be run at a reasonable gallop courtesy of The Churchill Lad being in the line-up, Ewan Whillans’ gelding can regain the winning thread. 

The five-year-old caused a bit of a shock when flooring 1-6 poke Idy Wood at Hexham back in November, showing an appetite for a battle on testing ground, and he went to prove that display was no fluke at the Yorkshire venue a month later.

Although he narrowly failed to get the better of a titanic tussle with Here Comes Georgie after the last 28 days ago, he left the impression he would have prevailed if presented with a stiffer examination and with today’s conditions likely to offer just what he requires, the son of Sans Frontiers receives a vote of confidence to put that theory into practice. 

JET LEGS (NAP) (best price 2-1) had to go to the well to fend off the late challenge of Donny Boy at Newcastle last time out, but it was a performance of some substance and he’s fancied to press home the view he remains a young chaser with plenty more to offer. 

Always regarded as a horse who will be seen to best effect in his discipline by connections, that viewpoint came to fruition at the Gosforth Park venue, and he looks to have done extremely well to come out of that contest 22 days ago relatively unscathed regarding his handicap mark. 

Despite posting a very good set of numbers for the grade, both overall and final circuit splits compared to the other two chases on the same card, his narrow margin success has left him still way below where he is likely to end up over fences and having already proven his likely for today’s track and conditions over hurdles last season, martin Todhunter’s gelding rates a decent bet to continue on his upward trajectory.