Monday Horse Racing Tips from Andy Holding

The two-year-old contest won by Hot To Dot was one of the best of its kind run up the north so far this season and having shaped better than the bare result suggested, PASTORAL WAY (best price 4-1) deserves more than a second look with that all-important experience under his belt. 

Caught on heels as the gates opened, in contrast to the winner and one of today’s rivals, Harswell Dandy, David O’Meara’s inmate was always fighting a losing battle from an early stage and considering he also ended up making a belated challenge out wide on the slowest part of the track, those circumstances rather extenuated his losing margin. 

Likely to break cleaner here this afternoon and running on a straight track, the son of Dandy Man should be a good closer to his old foe on this occasion and he is fancied to find the necessary improvement to turn the tables around on ground that will also suit more favourably. 

CHURCHELLA (best price 4-1) has developed a bit of a penchant for today’s track in recent times so even though she does have the tendency to put herself on the back foot with tardy starts, David O’Meara’s filly can follow up her two C&D victories. 

Nowhere near as slowly away here last time as she was on her previous outing (lost at least eight lengths), the four-year-old was always in a position where she was going to be dangerous in the latter stages and having travelled best throughout, she duly came through to claim the prize late on. 

Winning with more in hand the official result suggested, the daughter of Churchill still gives the impression she can go beyond her new assessment of 71 and providing, by her standards, she breaks relatively well, she can add to her track stats that current read 2211. 

KENTO (best price 9-2), rated only 69, wouldn’t normally fit into the category of the ideal betting medium for a race of this nature but he does have some useful form to his name and given that his last three performances all come out well on the data, Tom Clover’s inmate is afforded another chance to get off the mark. 

Placed on his first two starts since the turn of the new year, the three-year-old grey was given a spin around tonight’s C&D last time out and even though he came up a little short in the final analysis, he matched his previous best on the figures. 

Prominent throughout 58 days ago, one would imagine he will feature heavily in the early skirmishes on his return visit and in the hope, he has what it takes to hang tough down the straight, he rates a reasonable each-way proposition at the morning odds.

Time may tell MARTY THE PARTY (best price 9-2) was beaten by a decent tool on his seasonal bow at The Curragh last month and with the strong possibility of a good deal more to come as the campaign progresses, Fozzy Stack’s inmate stake an early claim to that theory by landing his first attempt in handicap company. 

Promising on his two starts over a mile as a juvenile, the flashy chestnut was well supported to come out on top of a 15-strong field at the Co Kildare venue following a 176-day break and for nine tenths of the seven-furlong trip, he looked like he would justify his position as market leader. However, he just lost out in the battle to the line with a horse who went into the contest with a fair reputation of his own (strongly backed second favourite) but at the same, it was pleasing that both he and the winner pulled well clear of the Aidan O’Brien-trained Old Faithful, who arguably had the best form as a two-year-old. 

Moreover, the speed figure was more than respectable and with the combination of today’s slightly easier mile and better ground putting more emphasis on speed than stamina, it would be a huge shock if the son of Starspangledbanner doesn’t go very close to shedding the maiden tag.