Andy Holding's Friday Horse Racing Tips

All eyes will no doubt be on Gordon Lord Byron on his return to home soil following his trip out to the desert, but this won’t be an easy assignment for Tom Hogan’s globetrotter up against a whole host of in-form sprinters who arrives here off the back of some big performances on the speed-figures and he’s passed over in favour of PATRICK (best price 11-1), who bids to bounce back after a total blowout here last time out. A useful handicapper when in the care of Richard Fahey back in the UK, the son of Acclamation impressed both visually and on the clock when scoring on his debut for new connections back in February, so it was no great surprise to see him a warm order to follow up on his return visit two weeks later. Like many before him, however, he simply bounced to the moon off the back of his previous exertions and he eventually trailed home a disappointing and well-beaten eighth of nine behind easy winner Togoville. Freshened up by his rookie handler since, Richard O’Brien’s charge can hopefully return to something nearing his best and with the pace likely to be very strong courtesy of Togoville, Grey Danube and Sign Of The Kodiac being in the line-up, the five-year-old should get the ideal tow into the race from his favoured inside draw.

CANBERRA CLIFFS (NAP) (best price 3-1) really caught the eye on her third start for new connections at Lingfield last time out and with expected improvement to come over further this evening, her maiden tag status looks under serious threat. Previously with David Wachman in Ireland, the daughter of Canford Cliffs has shown plenty of promise since landing on these shores and following two encouraging efforts against useful opposition in maidens over 6f at Chelmsford, she gave out even more cause for optimism last time out over a furlong less. Outpaced in rear in the early stages at the Surrey venue, Don Cantillon’s charge impressed by the way she finished off her race in the closing stages and having come from a background of 7f races in her native land, a return to that trip should provide her every chance of being massively competitive in this sort of grade.

Eyes are immediately drawn to Locus Standi arriving here off the back of a smooth success over tonight’s C&D last time out, but his inexperienced rider does leave slight cause for concern at a relatively short price so he’s passed over in favour of BITTERN (best price 9-2). Although her form figures don’t look great to the casual observer, her latest effort when fifth in a red-hot race on the figures here 28 days ago reads well in the context of this race and with the blinkers on for the first time a possible source of improvement, the daughter of New Approach can take advantage of a big drop in class.