Horse Racing Tips: Centara to strike again for hot duo

There are five meetings across the UK and Ireland on Monday as another racing week begins.

Jumps fare comes from Newton Abbot and Downpatrick, while they race on the Flat at Ayr in the afternoon before Killarney and Windsor in the evening slots.

Read below for my three best fancies across Monday's cards, including one for an in-form Paul Nicholls team at Newton Abbot.

14:50 Newton Abbot - Centara @ 8/11

There are few hotter partnerships right now than that of Paul Nicholls and apprentice rider Jay Tidball.

The Ditcheat supremo has a 50 per-cent strike-rate from his last 10 runners and is the leading five-year trainer at Newton Abbot with 56 winners at the Devon track and a 30 per-cent overall strike-rate here. Tidball, meanwhile, has fired in three winners in five attempts in recent times.

CENTARA scored over course and distance for this trainer/jockey partnership last month, following up his Hereford win in smooth style as he coasted home on the bridle.

He looks well placed to defy a 10lb higher mark now and ensure the good streak for his connections continues.

15:40 Ayr - Homer Stokes @ 5/1

The hat-trick seeking Keep Me Stable and recent Musselburgh winner Detective are contenders of note in the racingtv.com/freetrial Handicap at Ayr, but HOMER STOKES might have the measure of both of them.

David Barron's seven-year-old is a seven-time winner in his career, on synthetics and on turf ranging from soft to good to firm.

He won three times last year, all at Catterick over 7f, and seemed to suggest with his last-time-out second at Carlisle (1m, soft) that his turn will be approaching again.

That was just his second run back from a break and he stayed on strongly late, without getting to the market leader in front.

The winner was a close second from 4lb higher over the same C&D since, while the third home, Ey Up Its Jazz, won next time at this track over this mile trip.

Homer Stokes arrives here from an unchanged mark and looks to have leading claims with a replication of that effort four weeks ago.

20:00 Windsor - Arran @ 7/1

A Class 4 sprint on the Windsor card in which it might pay to give a chance to the returning ARRAN for Paul and Oliver Cole.

The Havana Grey colt won a Newmarket novice event over 5f (good) on debut in April 2024. That contest worked out well, with useful performers like The Actor, Hallasan and Al Qudra behind.

Arran, meanwhile, tackled the Coventry at Royal Ascot and the Molecomb at Glorious Goodwood on his only other two runs, outclassed in both instances.

He's returning from a 348-day absence now and has undergone a wind operation in his downtime.

A first-time hood is deployed and, based on his Newmarket debut win, an opening mark of 86 seems plausible.

He faces six rivals here, with Amazonian Dream and Diamondonthehill amongst the likely contenders, but none are prolific winners and this returning colt looks capable of going well under Rossa Ryan.

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