Monday tips: Andy Stephens has one more tip after two winners
By Andy Stephens
Last Updated: Mon 11 Aug 2025
Our Tipping Editor, Andy Stephens is sweet on a pair at Ayr and always like one trained by Noel Meade at Ballinrobe.
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2.30 Ayr: Highfield Viking at a general 4-1
Andy Stephens
Finished: 1stSP: 9/4
It was three years ago this week that Highfield Princess won the Prix Maurice de Gheest, and the marvellous and much-missed mare added the Nunthorpe and Flying Five soon afterwards.
Her half-brother, Highfield Viking, in the same ownership and also trained by the Quinns, is not cut from the same cloth, but he’s a consistent performer who has won or been placed in ten of his past 17 races.
His past four efforts, when in the money every time, have all been solid, being beaten less than two lengths on each occasion.
The sectionals tell us he finished best of all when going close at Newcastle last time and he runs off the same mark here. He’s also off the same rating as when unfortunate not to win over course and distance a couple of years ago, so will be hard to keep out of the frame at the least.
3.00 Ayr: Jannas Journey at a general 11-8
Andy Stephens
Finished: 1stSP: 8/11
Jim Goldie has already accumulated 15 winners at Ayr this season, just one short of his tally for the whole of last year.
His strike-rate at the track this term has been 19 per cent, so it’s odds-on that he will hit the target with at least one of his six runners on Monday.
Jannas Journey contributed two Ayr wins last month, having previously struck at Hamilton, and this in-form filly, who joined Goldie from Lucinda Russell at the start of the can stay on a roll.
She’s gone up 15lb during her winning streak, but she still looked some way ahead of the assessor when making all here last time, when again very strong in the market.
Danny Tudhope does not ride often for Goldie, but he is 3-3 on her and is 6-17 at Ayr this year.
6.25 Ballinrobe: Desert Haven at 4-1 with William Hill
Andy Stephens
Finished: 3rdSP: 9/2
Having put up Helvic Dream as ante-post punt for the Galway Hurdle at 25-1, I shared the exasperation of al those involved with the horse when he was demoted after being first past the post.
Meade does have his team in top trim – Jesse Evans ran another screamer at Galway to finish second in the Plate and he’s had subsequent winners – and he will surely get a handicap hurdle success or two out of Desert Haven sooner, rather than later.
This five-year-old is not exactly bred for Jumps, being by Oasis Dream out of a Pivotal mare, but went close over course and distance in late May, when unfortunate to bump into an unexposed rival making his handicap bow. That was the first time he had run on a sound surface in this sphere, and it clearly suited him, with his RaceiQ Jump Index score being an assured 8.3 out of ten.
He's been nudged up 3lb but still looks on an attractive mark relative to his Flat form. Desert Haven finished down the field in a 7f handicap on the level last time, when partnered by a 7lb claimer, but at least that would have kept him ticking over. Donagh Meyler, who rode him here for the first time in May, resumes the partnership.
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