Monday Horse Racing Tips from Andy Holding

Sysko is undoubtedly the most intriguing runner in the opener of seven-day bonanza but he hasn’t been missed by the layers whereas MORDOR (best price 17-2) seems to have been totally ignored for some reason and rates the value call at the prices. 

A 12-race maiden heading into his penultimate outing at Sligo, Gordon Elliott’s inmate finally laid that particular ghost to rest with a convincing display and just to prove his wellbeing, he went on to lower the colours of the in-form The Banger Doyle back on the Flat at Killarney last time out. 

Hitting the line strongly at the Kerry venue, the four-year-old left the impression he could have more to offer going forward and with the ground expected to keep drying out in his favour, he has better prospects of following in the footsteps of stable mate Royal Eagle, winner of this two years ago, than his odds imply.

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Both Eavestone and Don Simon shaped with plenty of promise on their respective debuts but they do have to overcome layoffs of nearly a year, so with that in mind, they might be worth opposing in favour of MAKE ACLAIM (best price 11-2), who has no issues regarding fitness. 

Sent off a 33-1 on his opening gambit at Haydock a month ago, Grant Tuer’s inmate travelled like he was always going to defy those tall odds and although he ultimately proved no match for the useful My Dream World, his performance if defeat marked him down as a horse to keep on side going forward. 

Posting a smart time figure at the Merseyside track, both the winner and third have done the form no harm since and for a horse who exhibits a bit of knee action, today’s surface should stand him fine stead in his bid to go one place better. 

CUBAN CONFUSION (best price 6-1) has shaped as though there could be more to come on each of his two starts this season and although it would be asking a lot for him to break his duck in a race of this nature, it wouldn’t be the biggest shock in the world if it were to happen either. 

Finding six furlongs on the sharp side for him on his first outing back after a winter break, David Marnane’s gelding tackled handicap company for the first time at Leopardstown two months later and although he failed to trouble the judge, there was still plenty to encouragement to take from his effort. 

Noted going well two out, he could never get into a position where he could find top gear and by the time he managed to extricate himself from the pocket, the dye was cast. However, using the theory he would have gone close to troubling the winner Enchanted Garden with a clear run, being chalked up double the price of his old rival makes him an enticing proposition at the morning odds and with a decent break from his favourable draw (stall 5), he should prove good enough to put up a bold bid.

ENFRANCHISE (best price 8-1) represents connections synonymous with this fixture over the years and having already proven her liking for the undulations of Ballybrit, Shark Hanlon can provide his main patron with a memorable winner of the big race on day one. 

A useful handicapper when with Charlie Johnston in the UK, the six-year-old mare, however, has taken her game to another level in recent times for current connections and after rounding off last season with a tremendous effort against listed company over today’s course, she returned off a 239-day break to go one place better at Gowran. 

Extremely strong in the latter stages, the test over 1m6f on heavy ground at the Kenny venue clearly played into her strengths and with the assessor seeing fit to somehow keep her on the same mark, the daughter of Invincible Spirit should be an even more potent force over tonight’s trip at a track she knows well. The only negative would be drying ground, but as conditions are cloudy in the area today and a bit a rain is forecast for later, there still be sufficient ease underfoot for her to be effective. 

If she doesn’t score for the Mee family, it would come as no surprise if their other big representative, TEED UP (best price 5-1), were to step up to the plate in his bid to follow up last year’s success. Although unsighted on his last outings so far this season, Galway is where Emmet Mullins’ gelding comes alive and his course record of 21121121 is quite extraordinary and impossible to ignore.