Ross Millar's Monday tips: Dundalk bets and weekend reflections

The weather continues to toy with the winter racing programme, with this time a cold snap rendering the ground unraceable.

It’s not just the UK that has been affected, I was looking forward to a long overdue trip to the races on Sunday at my local track, Mont de Marsan, but that too was frozen off. You won’t find a frost cover in this normally warm corner of south France!

Ever the optimist, I wonder whether this chilly period may be the architect of some more competitive racing through the Christmas and New Year period? Certainly, the loss of the Unibet International Hurdle at Cheltenham on Saturday will require Nicky Henderson to revisit his race planner for Epatante – unless he gets his wish, and the race is rescheduled for Ascot next weekend.

Dare we hope that it might lead to a trip over the Irish Sea for her stablemate Constitution Hill? Assuming, of course, that he’d prefer not to have them clash again in the Ladbrokes Christmas Hurdle at Kempton.

Cork did survive the weather and delivered an informative card, though perhaps the most informative piece of news to come from the track was that Henry De Bromhead has the Mares Hurdle at Cheltenham as “another option in his mind” for his star mare Honeysuckle. Please don’t do it Henry! After all it was only last week we were told that Irish trainers don’t duck challenges.

On the track, De Bromhead enjoyed a fine afternoon as he saw two smart performances from novice hurdlers Arctic Bresil and Hiddenvalley Lake, it was the former who most impressed me. However, he’s the epitome of an embryonic chaser so is sure to be well minded by his trainer this season.

The feature race, The Bar One Racing Hilly Way Chase, was, as expected, won in a canter by Energumene. He jumped well bar one small mistake at the second last and didn’t need to come out of second gear to win as he pleased.

This performance taught us nothing, other than he, unlike a few from Closutton, is fit and well. Bigger tests await but it was good to see the Champion Chase winner back on the course.

The weather has wiped out all jumps racing on Monday so my attention turned to Dundalk, from where I have two selections. You can watch all the action live on Racing TV.

After two poor efforts on soft ground, Rossmore Nation appeared to enjoy the firmer underfoot conditions of the Dundalk polytrack last time.

From a wide draw, he was slowly into stride resulting in being positioned further back than ideal. He made good late progress to finish an eye-catching fifth. Hopefully, he’ll break on terms this time allowing him to hold a more prominent early position with the extra furlong looking sure to suit.

His opening mark of 55 doesn’t look overly harsh given that last time he finished just over two lengths behind the 65-rated Sashay, to whom he was conceding 5lb.

Siobhan Rutledge retains the partnership and is operating at a healthy 20% at Dundalk this winter with three winners from 15 rides.

Just over a year ago, Chazzesmee was sent off favourite for his handicap debut at this track. Sadly, things didn’t go well as he went lame departing the stalls and was quickly pulled up.

After a year away from the track he made a promising return over ten furlongs at the Curragh on heavy ground. He was understandably keen in the early stages but still travelled powerfully and took the lead two out. That lead was shortlived as he paid the price for his early over-exertion and weakened into fourth.

This faster surface and the drop in trip look like positives for this son of Excelebration. He does have a wide draw to overcome but is too well-handicapped to ignore, having been dropped 6lb for effectively going lame and then being an encouraging fourth.