Andy Holding's Thursday Horse Racing Tips

There’s no denying the obvious claims of in-form Captain Lars in his bid to complete a quick hat-trick, but he could have a slightly sticky draw to overcome in stall one, and there may be better value to had in CROSSE FIRE (best price 3-1) who shaped as though he’s approaching fever-pitch based on his last two performances. A five-time C&D winner, Scott Dixon’s charge had endured a pretty baron spell until catching the eye when staying on nicely from a slow beginning behind today’s favourite two starts back, and although he failed to build on that effort position-wise here last time, he ran a good deal better than the bare results indicates. In race run at brutal fractions, the son of Monsieur Bond kept on well in the closing stages to finish on the coat tails of some of the top sprinters at this track and given that four of his five wins here have come in single-figure fields, the combination of only six rivals, a favourable mark and the return of cheekpieces make him worth chancing at the prices.

Pretty much every season, there’s a horse that works his way through the ranks via the smaller meetings at Meydan before the Carnival proper starts in January, and in the shape of FITZGERALD (NAP) (best price 9-2), we have another performer who has improved at such rapid rate of knots that he finds himself a deserved strong fancy in this glittering Group 2 prize. The son of Elusive Quality just seemed a useful handicapper until hitting the ball out of the park on the figures here two starts back and although the market didn’t take much notice of that performance - as he was sent off a 33-1 poke - he turned in the sort of display that meant he will never be underestimated in the betting again. Drawn on the outside of a 12-strong field, Ali Bin Harmash’s charge not only belied his rating of 95, he simply blew away some of the best milers we’ve seen at this track over the last few seasons and in powering to a scintillating five-length victory, he posted the sort of numbers to suggest it was anything but a fluke. Although he’s up against another deep field here this afternoon, there’s clearly nothing to be scared of on the evidence of that latest effort and if the five-year-old is in the same sort of form three weeks on, his rivals will need to be on their A-game to keep him at bay.

BORN TO FINISH (best price 3-1) certainly lived up his name with the way he came home off the speed to break his duck at the 14th time of asking last time out, and he receives the confident vote to follow up that success under his mandatory penalty. Having his first outing for 114-days, Jonathon Gask’s charge was soon on the back foot after a slightly tardy start, but exhibiting a fine turn of foot in the closing stages he ran out a very comfortable winner at the line. Indeed, on closer inspection to his final fractions at the Surrey venue, they reveal a useful set of numbers for a horse of his grade and having run with credit on his two previous visits to today’s track, the son of Dark Angel can add another to the long list of breathing operation success stories.

As Shakespeare’s King Henry V once famously said, “Once more into the breach, dear friends” and that battle cry couldn’t be anymore fitting for those of us who have followed TAKE THE HELM (best price 4-1) to dire consequences over the last few months. Having witnessed Brian Meehan’s charge receive a shocking passage behind Haaf A Sixpence at Lingfield two starts ago, a similar horror story developed in front of the luckless four-year-old at the same track last time out. Coming with what looked to be a winning charge approaching the final furlong (having inexplicably lost his good early position coming down the hill), he had the door slammed in his face at a crucial stage and, finishing hard on the bridle, it was another case of what might have been for the son of Monsieur Bond. Clearly well handicapped on the evidence of these two performances, hopefully he gets the breaks at the right time this time around as the bank balance can’t justify another body blow to the wallet if he fails to deliver the goods again.