Bank Holiday Monday tips: Andy Stephens shares four fancies

It’s going to be a busy one on Racing TV on Monday with five afternoon meetings and 37 races to digest. 

Charlie Appleby and William Buick are taking a couple of days off, so someone else is going to get a look in after they dominated on what was an astonishing weekend for Godolphin. 

The quality fare is at The Curragh, where the pattern races on the card include the Group Two Coolmore Stud City Of Troy Irish EBF Mooresbridge Stakes, featuring a clash between Los Angeles and White Birch. 

I’ve got fancies in the feature races plus like a pair who will be in action over Jumps. 

Officer heads the market for Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore after an encouraging return over 7f at The Curragh in March and is bred to be suited by the extra yardage here, and further in time, despite appearing to weaken in the closing stages that day. 

However, he’s up against several other improvers, and whether he should be as short as 6-4 is questionable. 

Currawood makes more appeal at the 9-2 on offer after his emphatic success over a mile at Cork last time, which came after a similarly convincing reappearance success at Dundalk. 

He was equipped with cheekpieces and a first-time tongue tie last time, and the combination clearly added an edge. Versatile regards ground and already proven at the trip, he can upstage the market leader. 

Big Stage has rubbed shoulders with some useful novices this season, running creditably behind such as Firefox and Impaire Et Passse. 

He should have handicaps in him off a mark of 119, but this beginners’ chase also rates a decent opportunity. 

Three miles again looked to stretch his stamina at Navan last time, as it has when he was well fancied for at Leopardstown over Christmas. The drop back in trip and better ground can show him in a better light. 

Encanto Bruno will be an obvious threat if returning to anything like his best, but his supporters have had little to shout about since the autumn of 2023. 

Pep Talking had a productive time last season, winning four of his seven races, and can pick up from where he left off. 

The seven-year-old is well served by a sound surface - he’s won his past four starts on good going – and cheekpieces have helped him stay ahead of the handicapper, with his past two wins at Hereford and Southwell being gained with something to spare. 

He's up another 4lb to a mark of 102, forcing him up a little higher in grade, but he can prove equal to the task. 

The big race of the day looks a match between Los Angeles and White Birch, with bookmakers essentially making it a toss-of-the-coin job. 

I’m surprised White Birch is not a clear favourite because this is his optimum trip and he’s shown his effectiveness when fresh, plus proved conclusively he doesn’t need deep ground to show his best when thumping Auguste Rodin in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at The Curragh when last seen in action 11 months ago. 

Minor setbacks meant we didn’t see him in action again after that triumph, but there’s no reason to believe he will not be able to pick up from where he left off. 

Los Angeles returns to the scene of his 2024 Irish Derby success but 12 furlongs is surely his best trip, and this is Plan B for his comeback as he missed his intended comeback run here last month because he was off his feed.