Andy Holding's Saturday Horse Racing Tips

EQTIRAAN (best price 8-1) impressed with the way he travelled through a similar race to this over today’s C&D last time out and he looks booked to go well again on his return visit to the Rowley Mile. Cruising into the lead with two furlongs to run, Richard Hannon’s inmate ran out of competition to carry him any further, and in the end, he proved to be an easy target for the fast-finishing Danielsflyer who was more patiently ridden. Sure to delay his run a little longer this time around, Jim Crowley will have the ideal target to shoot at in the shape of the trail-blazing Quench Dolly and with a little bit of soft ground form also tucked away in his locker, the Helmet gelding has more in his favour here than his morning price indicates.

EDWARD LEWIS (best price 6-4) arrives here in terrific heart and having proven that he can also handle plenty of ease underfoot at Lingfield last week, confidence is high that his follow up bid can end with another success. Seemingly improving race-by-race for new connections, David O’Meara’s inmate scored for the second time in three starts this season with an emphatic success at the Surrey venue and with his yard having a week to remember with plenty of notable winners, another looks on the cards with this in-form four-year-old.

LIGHTNING SPEAR (NAP) (best price 5-1) went agonisingly close to landing a couple of Group 1 prizes last season and he looks to have a great opportunity of finally laying that ghost to rest under his ideal conditions. Finding himself with just too much to do when staying on best of all to finish a close-up third in the Queen Anne on his opening gambit to last term, David Simcock’s inmate ran a carbon-copy race to fill the same place behind Minding back over the same C&D on Champions Day. Not only does the son of Pivotal have obvious form claims, his record off the back of a long break reads 11113 and drawn nicely in the middle of the pack which should enable him to get plenty of cover, he makes plenty of each-way appeal at his top morning price.

Safe with the knowledge that the track was riding pretty soft here yesterday and with showers forecast throughout the day, SINFONIETTA (best price 7-1) gets his ideal conditions to perform at maximum capacity. A wildly impressive winner on his first outing since gelded this time last year, David Menuisier’s inmate went on to run a series of fine races without managing to get his head in front and on the evidence of his opening bow this season, he looks better than ever. In a well-run Spring Mile at Doncaster, the Sinndar gelding looked the most likely winner with a furlong to go until Ballet Concerto burst on to the scene to pick his pocket late on, but that effort still suggests he’s not badly treated when everything is in his favour and that appears to be the case here today. Mutarakez has run a good deal better than his finishing position has suggested on his last two outings and he’s another to consider in a cracking finale.

A wide-open handicap, but there’s a lot to like about the respective claims of the two females THE TULIP (best price 15-2) and BAINNE (best price 8-1) and they are both worth playing against the field. The former hasn’t stood much racing for one reason or another, but when she steps onto a track, she has managed to run to a fair level. Shaping as though just needing her first outing of the season in a competitive affair at Naas 19 days ago, Edward Lynam’s inmate should be all the better for that initial outing and a repeat of her two efforts when seen last year behind the smart pair Mr Right and Rose De Pierre would put her bang in the mix. The latter does come with her quirks, but there’s no denying she’s in a good place at the moment and her current wellbeing was highlighted by her gutsy victory at the Curragh last time out. Coming from well off the pace in traditional fashion, Johnny Levins’ mare did really well to run down her prey considering how far back she was at halfway and with the step up in trip likely to suit, a positive display looks on the cards.