Sunday Horse Racing Tips from Andy Holding

FIVEONEFIVE (best price 12-1) hasn’t been anywhere near his best on his last three starts but as he doesn’t really act that well on soft ground, that’s understandable, and now back on a surface that should provide him with renewed energy, Cian Collins’ inmate can rebound back in the right direction. 

Seen to best effect when landing a valuable contest at Cartmel on good ground last summer (strong speed figure), the six-year-old went on to post a career high effort by finishing a highly creditable third in the Welsh Champion Hurdle on yet another raid over the Irish Sea and when you consider he had the likes of Faivoir, Gin Coco and subsequent Grade 1 winner Strong Leader all behind him that day, it just shows you what he can achieve when conditions are in his favour. 

Following a deserved victory at Hereford on his next outing, he’s been served up a diet of heavy ground at premier tracks but despite this occurrence, he’s still managed to run reasonably well under the circumstances. His latest display in the Martin Pipe at Cheltenham, for instance, he ended up being one of the few who were held up towards the rear early to latch onto the main players turning for home and although his run petered out from that juncture, finishing eighth of 21 in a high-quality renewal isn’t a bad return in the context of what he faces here today. 

A smooth traveller with a nice turn of foot when on-song, he easily has some of the best recent form to call on in today’s field and it’s easy to see him playing a much more significant role than his odds imply around a track that should suit. 

TRAPISTA (NAP) (best price 10-3) arrives her on a crest of a wave following back-to-back wins at Hereford and Warwick and with the latest of these successes coming at the expense of several in-form performers, Jonjo O’Neill’s mare is fancied to complete the hat trick. 

Bouncing back to form with a ready winner at Hereford two starts ago, the seven-year-old mare had to prove her worth in a better race at the Midland venue a month later and in what turned out to be a well contested affair from the outset, she came through strong at the finish to collar the well-backed favourite, God’s Own Getaway. 

Clocking smart figures on each of her last two victories, she clearly thrives on a sound pace and with Lost Connections likely to ensure there will be no hiding place from the get-go, everything should pan out in favour of this in-form mare.