Andy Holding's Thursday Racing Tips

Although never a serious factor on debut at Newcastle, SHAHEEN (best price 13-2) shaped a bit better than the bare result implies and there’s a good chance he can prove much more competitive granted just normal improvement second time around. Dwelling slightly as the stalls crashed back, John Quinn’s inmate found himself towards the back of the field early on and with the tempo unrelenting for a two-year-old contest throughout, he never constructed a telling blow. He did, however, pick up nicely enough late on to suggest that he should be of significant interest further down the line and with the time figure and subsequent form of the race in question indicating is was an above-average affair (winner Rajasinghe high up in the betting for the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot and fourth and seventh both run well since), the son of Society Rock can put up a bold bid.

ZENAFIRE (best price 7-4) has been in terrific form of late under both codes and this looks a good opportunity for him to follow up his recent success at over jumps at Bangor. A good fourth previously in a well-run event at Chepstow, Steph Hollinshead’s charge stayed on very strongly in the latter stages to pull readily clear of his seven rivals at the North Wales venue and that was nothing more than his deserved following several near misses. Prior to that victory, the Firebreak gelding had run well enough over today’s C&D behind the in-form Monjeni but as the ground would have probably been a little quick for him on that occasion, today’s softer terrain will be much more in his favour.

MARSHALL JENNINGS (best price 7-1) probably found 7f on a relatively sound surface an insufficient test at Naas last time out, but now returning to the scene of his previous performance when he only just found the very smart filly Rose De Pierre too good, he makes plenty of appeal. Held up and still last turning for home, Jessica Harrington’s inmate finished strongest of all down the outside to get within a head of the winner and that effort only further went to cement his preference for a well-run mile on soft ground. Although only good-to-yielding at time of writing, the Dublin area are due some hefty showers throughout the day and the more rains that falls, the better the chances for the son of Lawman.

Eve Johnson Houghton can do precious little wrong at present (six winners in last 14 days) and ON TO VICTORY (NAP) (best price 3-1) is fancied to provide the Blewbury handler with another success. Although he ran well on several outings as a two-year-old, the decision to geld him over the close season has clearly worked the oracle as both his two performances this campaign have been a good deal more productive. Runner-up to the useful Trenchard at Kempton on his opening bow, the son of Rock Of Gibraltar produced a smart display at Leicester last time out, coming from an unpromising position at the top of the home straight to run out a ready winner. Relishing the very strong pace, the lightly-raced gelding made up a huge amount of ground in the final three furlongs and he ended up clocking a speed figure that was by far and away the best on the seven-race card. Given how strong he was in the latter stages of that race (good closing sectionals), it looks a wise move by connections to up him trip and run him over a track where the last three furlongs is similarly all on the collar, and shaped very much in the mould of one of last season’s success stories from the stable, Scarlet Dragon, hopes are high he can follow in his footsteps and make up into a useful middle-distance handicapper for the remainder of the campaign.