Irish Racing Tips: Mark Milligan is backing three on Monday

There are two competitive Irish meetings on Monday, with Roscommon providing the flat action, while Downpatrick stages a decent-quality jumps meeting a little further north earlier in the afternoon.

We'll start at Downpatrick, which gets underway at 13:50 with the A J C Group Maiden Hurdle, a race that looks a good opportunity for Gordon Elliott's Nonbinding to go one better than at Ballinrobe last time.

Returning from six months off after he'd reportedly bled on hurdling debut at Punchestown in January, the son of Kalanisi was no match for Willie Mullins' Nos Na Gaoithe, though he did stick on nicely to claim the runner-up spot.

He cost a few quid and is related to plenty of winners so clearly more can be expected from this one, while it's probably fair to say that this isn't the deepest maiden ever run at the track.

King Kal caught the eye when fourth in a similar contest to this last time and was another I considered in this spot, though the feeling is he may not be seen to best effect until getting to tackle lower grade handicaps over hurdles.

Elliott at the double

I'm taking Elliott and jockey Jack Kennedy to double up with the potentially well-treated Getaway Goldie in the Downpatrick Best Dressed Lady Handicap Hurdle at 15:35.

Elliott's mare has won three of her last four starts and comes here in fine form, showing marked improvement over the larger obstacles on her last couple of outings.

She finished runner-up in a quality four-runner affair at Perth in June before going one better back at the Scottish track in a slightly weaker contest earlier this month. That win came off a chase mark of 118, yet she gets to race off a much lower mark of 106 as she switches back to hurdles here.

Looking at her form in the round, it's highly likely that she's just an improved model now than when she last ran over hurdles, even though that was a pretty decent winning effort itself.

She could simply be chucked in from this sort of mark and should take all the beating.

If the selection does falter for whatever reason, the one to take advantage may well be Sphagnum, who comes into this in good form himself.

He won a small handicap hurdle at Sligo in July and has remained in good heart since, finishing runner-up on his last two starts, the most recent one when not seen to anything like best effect.

A repeat of that run will see him serve it up to Getaway Goldie, though he may find it difficult to reel in a mare who could still be a step ahead of the handicapper.

Classy Max fancied back on the flat

Over at Roscommon, the Lecarrow Race at 18:30 hasn't attracted a very big field but it's an interesting contest nonetheless and all of the five runners can be given some sort of chance.

The one open to most improvement is Joseph O'Brien's Magellan Straight, who got off the mark at the second attempt in a Limerick maiden last time.

A son of Australia who's bred to stay very well, he's clearly nowhere near his limit yet but he'll have to find a chunk of progression to beat Tax For Max if that one has retained the sort of ability he showed on the flat in Germany a couple of years ago.

He finished fifth in a Group 1 that contained Arc winner Torquator Tasso at Munich on his final start for the Henk Grewe yard and has developed into a useful hurdler since joining Willie Mullins.

The selection is fit from three outings over obstacles (including a win at Punchestown) and it's hard to get away from the standard he sets on his German form.