Sunday Horse Racing Tips from Andy Holding

There appeared to be no fluke the way SILENT APPROACH (best price 11/4) disposed of Harmonya Maker and Hauturiere at Cork a month ago and with Con O’Keeffe’s mare going on to confirm her own wellbeing against the boys at Punchestown last time out, she is fancied to have a good crack at upholding the form with her old rivals.

While Gordon Elliotts’ inmate spent the majority of the two-mile journey at the Mallow circuit jumping out to her left, the daughter of Walk In The Park was happy to except and gifts presented her way and considering that trip would have been short of her best, her performance warranted extra merit.

Up in class and against the likes of Blood Destiny and Spillane’s Tower last week, she ran to an even higher standard in defeat and with the numbers from that contest backing up that view (very strong speed figure), she has nothing to fear back among her own sex.

The King Of Prs represents a handler who has an uncanny knack of plundering big prizes from under the noses of the home-based runners but whether Gavin Cromwell’s inmate can cope with SAINT SEGAL (NAP) (best price 5/2) should he stay upright this time is open to question and at the prices Jane Williams’ inmate is taken to make amends for his untimely exit at Ascot last time.

Shaping as though needing the outing on his first start of the campaign, the six-year-old returned to the Berkshire venue against similar opposition and this time he was ridden with a view to be played a little later in the piece. Seemingly timing his effort to perfection, he took up the running in between the final two fences but with the race at his mercy, he just caught the top sufficiently enough for his cadence to be affected and with gravity taking over, he couldn’t get his landing gear down quick enough.

Taking the logical view, he would have landed that valuable prize if he had not hit the deck, the son of Saint Des Saints still appears very well treated going forward and having proven himself equally effective going left-handed in the past (his best speed figure was gained at Doncaster last season), it’s hard to see him not having a huge say in today’s contest with a clear round.

RAMO (best price 7/1) gave another decent account of himself in a useful contest at Plumpton last time out and more of the same looks on the cards from Venitia Williams’ gelding under ideal conditions.

Strong in the market to go one place better than his previous start at Carlisle, the seven-year-old booted for the judge after rounding the home turn in front but he couldn’t quite shake off his two nearest pursuers and in the end, he had to settle for an honourable third.

That said, the data from the Sussex contest suggests he had little chance of beating the winner at the very least and it was an effort that reads better on paper after the dust had settle than it did at the time. On par in comparison to the two useful novice races on the same card over shorter trips, it’s clear the race in question two weeks ago was abnormal for a three-mile event and if running to a similar level in the hands of his previous winning pilot, the combination is likely to play a starring role.

There wasn’t a great deal to separate ANIMAL (best price 9/2) and O’Connell when they met last time out in the Lincolnshire National at Market Rasen but with today’s conditions likely to be testing (going now soft) and the former being arguably the stronger stayer of the pair, he is fancied to uphold the form with his old rival and play another prominent role.

A game winner at Sandown a month ago, needing all of that stiff three miles to oblige, Suzy Smith’s gelding was strongly fancied to follow up over almost half a mile further last time and in a rousing finish where there was only a length to separate the first four home, he just narrowly failed to pull off the notable double.

Granted, O’Connell travelled like the best horse in the race for majority of the 3m3f journey, but ultimately, the son of Arcadio found more off the bridle when it mattered and with an extra two furlongs to negotiate likely to play even more into his strengths – not to mention the two spins over today’s course he’s already gathered under his belt – it makes sense to stick with him while seemingly in the form of his life.