Brian Healy gives his Sunday horse racing tips for every fixture going to post across the UK and Ireland where three meetings take place.
Sunday plays host to a trio of UK and Irish horse racing meetings where the second day of the Dublin Racing Festival takes centre stage with the card featuring four Grade One races. Meanwhile, it is also day two of Musselburgh’s Cheltenham Festival Trials weekend where there is Listed action on the card.
Completing the day’s trio of fixtures is a meeting at Taunton and Brian Healy gives his his Sunday horse racing tips for all three meetings taking place.
Leopardstown (jumps) – 12.55 – 4.35pm (8 races)
Musselburgh (jumps) – 1.15 – 4.20pm (7 races)
Taunton (jumps) – 1.35 – 4.45pm (7 races)
BRIAN HEALY’S NAP OF THE DAY – 2 FEBRUARY
SUNDAY HORSE RACING TIPS AT A GLANCE
1.15 Musselburgh – I’M TOO GENEROUS (4/1, William Hill)
1.55 Leopardstown – MT LEINSTER (5/2, Bet365)
2.05 Taunton – MOTASHAKEL (2/1, William Hill)
2.15 Musselburgh – WILD MAX (9/4, William Hill)
2.40 Taunton – ASK ROBIN (6/1, William Hill)
3.30 Leopardstown – KEMBOY (7/4, William Hill)
LEOPARDSTOWN TIPS
(1.55 Leopardstown)
Willie Mullins has an excellent record in this race, winning six of the last seven renewals and the County Carlow handler has three in the race headed by MT LEINSTER (5/2, Bet365) who can follow up his recent success here over Christmas.
The Beat Hollow gelding boasts some very solid bumper form and although he was beaten by the reopposing Easywork on his hurdling debut at Gowran Park, he was conceding race-fitness to that rival at a time when many of the yard’s runners were needing their first run.
He subsequently built on that performance to readily run out a nine lengths’ winner here on Boxing Day and with the potential for better still he could follow up here where he remains remains a very good prospect over hurdles.
He can improve to turn the tables on the Elliott runner in this rematch and no surprise if he hands Willie Mullins another winner in this contest.
(3.30 Leopardstown)
KEMBOY (7/4, William Hill) faded into fourth in the recent Savills Chase won by the reopposing Delta Work here over the Christmas period, but Willie Mullins’ charge likely needed that run and should prove an altogether different proposition now.
The Voix Du Nord gelding won all four completed chase starts last term with his sole blip coming when unseating his rider at the first fence in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Three of those four wins came in Grade One company, ending with a defeat of Gold Cup winner Al Boum Photo in the Punchestown Gold Cup last May.
Many of Willie Mullins’ runners had been seen to need their first run earlier in the campaign and that may well have been the case with Kemboy who went well for a long way on his return before folding behind his race-fit rivals and he ought to strip much fitter with that run under his belt.
Improvement is anticipated as a result and every chance he can get back to winning ways now with the cobwebs dusted off.
12.55 – Jeremy’s Flame
1.25 – Aspire Tower
1.55 – Mt Leinster
2.30 – Gran Geste
3.00 – Faugheen
3.30 – Kemboy
4.00 – Fitzhenry
4.35 – Castra Vetera
Willie Mullins can enjoy further Grade One success at Leopardstown on Sunday.
(Read our full Leopardstown preview)
MUSSELBURGH TIPS
(1.15 Musselburgh)
A winner of three of his four starts at this venue, I’M TOO GENEROUS (4/1, William Hill) could be worth chancing to enhance his good record here with a win over fences.
Rebecca Menzies’ charge has raced just once before over the larger, but the Generous gelding showed some aptitude for chasing when finishing third of five runners behind Felix Mendelssohn at Perth back in May where he possibly found the two miles just too sharp for him.
The front two in that Perth outing have both gone on to win since and his revised mark could prove workable as his focus switches back to chasing here. He remains thoroughly unexposed and the longer trip here could suit so every chance he can make his presence felt.
(2.15 Musselburgh)
Top jockey Harry Cobden travels to Musselburgh for two rides for trainer Paul Nicholls and the rider can make the trip worthwhile with a win aboard WILD MAX (9/4, William Hill) who has looked a really nice prospect since his arrival from France.
Paul Nicholls does well with his ex-French imports and the Maxios gelding showed plenty of ability when readily coming clear last time out to register a near-four lengths’ victory at Taunton in December. That looked a fairly useful contest where he gave weight all round, and he did the job well.
He had also won at the same track on his UK debut, and while the form of his latest win hasn’t worked out particularly well, he could do no more than win as he did.
He remains open to plenty of improvement so there would be no surprise if he were to find another chunk of progress and every chance that the Maxios gelding can make it 3-3 over timber despite this being a deeper race than either of his Taunton successes.
1.15 – I’m Too Generous
1.45 – Goa Lil
2.15 – Wild Max
2.50 – Saint Xavier
3.20 – Fred The Foot
3.50 – Nortonthorpelegend
4.20 – Mortlach
Harry Cobden can ride a winner at Musselburgh on Sunday.
(Read our full preview of Musselburgh)
TAUNTON TIPS
(2.05 Taunton)
MOTASHAKEL (2/1, William Hill) was a fair sort on the flat in Ireland and Evan Williams’ charge has shaped with ability in all three hurdles starts.
The Olympic Glory gelding finished a creditable fourth at Kempton on his debut over hurdles after which he ran a very good third behind the classy Allmankind at Warwick, and he filled the same spot when last seen back there last month when beaten just over one length behind Megalodon.
A subsequent winner was behind him that day, but the form of his earlier third is rock-solid and he gets lumps of weight here notwithstanding his rider’s claim. He could have further improvement to come and the drying ground here is unlikely to present a problem so every chance he can open his account now.
(2.40 Taunton)
Point-to-point winner ASK ROBIN (6/1, William Hill) has shaped with some promise in three starts over hurdles since joining Jamie Snowden and his latest run at Taunton is readily forgiven as he suffered a breathing problem in that race.
The Robin Des Champs gelding has since undergone wind surgery and he now switches to chasing where he is thrust immediately into a handicap where an initial mark of 102 may not prove an insurmountable burden in what looks a relatively modest introduction.
The transition to chasing could unlock some improvement given his point-to-point background and this could prove a decent opportunity for him to get off the mark.
1.35 – Northofthewall
2.05 – Motashakel
2.40 – Ask Robin
3.10 – Vienna Court
3.40 – Shanroe In Milan
4.10 – Tactical Manoeuvre
4.45 – Flash De Touzaine
Taunton are racing on Sunday over the sticks.
SUNDAY HORSE RACING TIPS AT A GLANCE
1.15 Musselburgh – I’M TOO GENEROUS (4/1, William Hill)
1.55 Leopardstown – MT LEINSTER (5/2, Bet365)
2.05 Taunton – MOTASHAKEL (2/1, William Hill)
2.15 Musselburgh – WILD MAX (9/4, William Hill)
2.40 Taunton – ASK ROBIN (6/1, William Hill)
3.30 Leopardstown – KEMBOY (7/4, William Hill)