Andy Holding's Saturday Horse Racing Tips

AURILLAC (best price 5-1) keeps leaving the impression that a decent race will come his way over fences if he can just improve his jumping technique and he’s given another chance to put that view to the test back at a track where he went really well last time out. Third to the improving Beware The Bear the time before at Ascot, Rebecca Curtis’ inmate went one place better at the Berkshire venue when staying on strongly from an unpromising position rounding the home turn and this died-in-the-wool stayer should give another solid account providing he can cut out those niggly little errors that tend to creep into his game every now and then.

Jumping soundly and getting into a good rhythm is often the key component to success in these big staying handicaps and POTTERS CROSS (best price 8-1) has the right sort of ingredients to inflict plenty of damage to his field with a forceful ride from the front. The last time he shipped up at today’s track, he handed out a sound beating to the very smart Viva Steve, and having run right up to his best form with another sound performance at Cheltenham last time out, Rebecca Curtis’ charge has a decent chance of shrugging aside top weight.

SAKHEE’S CITY (best price 9-1) loomed up dangerously looking as though he was going to land his latest outing at Haydock, but a spirited display by the well-fancied Eamon An Cnoic means Philip Kirby’s charge arrives here bidding to gain compensation. Not for the first time did the son of Sakhee run into an improving type and had to settle for a minor role - as four previous runner-up berths testify - and if any horse deserved a change of luck, it’s him. One of those performances, indeed, came over today’s C&D on testing ground and with similar conditions likely to be the order of the day yet again, this consistent five-year-old should be capable of hitting the frame at the very least.

BURTONS WELL (NAP) (best price 5-2) ran to a pretty high standard form-wise and on the speed figures first time out over fences and he can capitalise on what looks a fair handicap mark based on that performance. Having his first run for 21-months, the son of Well Chosen was unfortunate to bump into a horse of the class of Waiting Patiently at the Durham track and with Malcolm Jefferson’s charge going on to score readily next time out of a mark of 140, it just highlights the claims of the selection from a pure handicapping perspective. Providing he doesn’t bounce of that big effort, Venetia Williams’ charge has conditions in his favour to start making up for lost time.