Andy Holding's Sunday Horse Racing Tips

BALL D’ARC (NAP) (best price 13-8) has already enjoyed a stellar season and his fine run looks set to continue at a track where he produced one of his best performances so far to date. Off the back of very strong fractions, Gordon Elliot’s inmate powered clear of a useful field of handicappers over the C&D back in January and since then, two further victories have resulted in his rating catapulting up to 151. Entered in several races at the Cheltenham Festival, connections decision not to go to Prestbury Park will only be judged on whether he comes good in these kind of events on home soil before the season ends, but other than Douvan, this division appears a fairly weak one and looks totally exploitable for a horse of his burgeoning progression.

SO CELEBRE (best price 8-1) really impressed with the way he hit the line in victory at Huntingdon last time out and he seems to be getting his act together nicely with the more experience he garners over hurdles. A little too keen for his own good on his first two starts, Ian Williams’ charge was more amenable to restraint at the Cambridgeshire venue 18 days ago and the combination of quicker ground and a decent pace to shoot at also resulted in a better final product. Fresher than most and from a yard in good form, the son of Peintre Celebre should give a good account.

Of those that ran at the Festival, PERCY STREET (best price 6-1) came out of the Fred Winter with plenty of credit and he seems overpriced based on those exploits. On ground that was still probably on the slow side for him at Prestbury Park, Nicky Henderson’s inmate impressed by the way he knuckled down to the task at hand, and in staying on strongly all the way up the hill to finish sixth, he’s fancied to confirm the form with several in behind under today’s faster conditions.

WARP FACTOR (best price 12-1) has been plying his trade to a decent standard over hurdles during the winter and with his race fitness assured, he makes plenty of appeal on his return to the flat. Although Pat Shanahan’s inmate has only scored once in a 15-race career, he has hit the board under both codes on numerous occasions and you’ve only got to look at the some of the names he’s been competing against over hurdles recently to put into context some of the tasks he’s faced. Runner-up to the very smart pair Project Bluebook and Forth Bridge shows that he’s not far off the top end of the juvenile ranks and having been gelded since chasing home the latter in a listed prize at Musselburgh last time, his double-figure quotes look on the big side off what could be a lenient handicap mark compared to his hurdle rating.