Andy Holding's Monday Horse Racing Tips

Connections of ZODIAKOS (best price 11-2) must have been pleased with the way their new recruit performed on his first start for Roger Fell at Pontefract and today’s contest looks an ideal opportunity for him to build on that promising effort. A bit of a morning glory horse when with Hugo Palmer, the son of Kodiac impressed by the way he travelled off strong fractions at the Yorkshire venue, but whereas the eventual winner, Red Tea, got a lovely clear run down the outside, the four-year-old just got his run checked at the most crucial stage of the race. Keeping on well for pressure in the latter stages, however, he gave out the kind of signals to suggest there are plenty of nice prizes to be won with him in future and if he can break cleanly and get himself into a decent position turning for home, the expansive straight at the Yorkshire venue should suit this long-striding four-year-old.

CLARA SORRENTO (best price 13-2) has just found the combination of 2m on quick ground catching him out on his last two starts, so it looks a bright move by connections to send him back over a trip more in-keeping with his overall profile. An easy winner of a maiden hurdle at Clonmel back in March, Noel Meade’s charge caught the eye with the way he finished off his race from an extremely unpromising position at the Punchestown Festival last time out, so much so, that he would have run out a comfortable winner of that competitive handicap hurdle with as little as an extra furlong to run. Back up to 2m 6f on better ground tonight, a big run is expected of the six-year-old gelding.

George Scott is running at a nice healthy strike rate this season and those percentages look to have every chance of being bettered courtesy of ROAD TO DUBAI (NAP) (best price 4-1) in this concluding three-year-old staying handicap. Three promising runs in maidens by the son of Aqlaam earned him a workable opening rating of 70 and on the evidence of his two performances in handicap company so far today, that early assessment looks to have been a bit short of the mark. Running a good deal better than his final finishing position suggested on his opening bow in his new discipline at Nottingham (runner-up Hertford Dancer landed the Lingfield Oaks trial Saturday), he backed up that view with a breakthrough success at Goodwood last time out. Always well positioned, the chestnut gelding stayed on really well in the closing stages of a race run at a decent tempo and given that he still looked a little raw once off the bridle in the final two furlongs, there’s every hope that there could be more to come. Moreover, his sectionals he posted in the latter part of that race at the Sussex venue compared favourably with Ajman Princess, who took the 1m 4f Listed contest on the same card, and with a pedigree and run-style that suggests tonight’s extra trip should bring about further improvement, a positive display looks on the cards from this likable type.