Andy Holding's Tuesday Racing Tips

Given the closing sectionals that Expert Eye posted when scoring at Newbury on debut (easily the best on the eight-race card), it was little wonder that BARRAQUERO (NAP) (best price 5-4) and many of his rivals couldn’t live with Sir Michael Stoute’s highly-promising colt, but now in these seemingly much shallower waters, he should be capable of taking advantage. Having easily been able to go with the early pace at the Berkshire, the son of Zebedee threw his hat into the ring first by quickening into the lead with two furlongs to run, and although he got done for pace by the big two in the betting late on, he kept on well enough to finish a creditable third and clear of the rest. Shaping as though a drop back in trip wouldn’t do him any harm either and hailing from a stable whose juveniles often improve immeasurably from their initial experience, Brian Meehan’s inmate rates a solid choice.

BRANCH LINE (best price 13-8) has always been held in pretty high regard since impressing on his debut as a two-year-old and while he’s ran some really nice races in defeat subsequently, his victory at Limerick last time went some way to rebuilding his reputation. Off the back of very sound fractions for just a four-runner affair, Andrew Slattery’s inmate ran down three smart opponents in the closing stages to win with a bit up his sleeve and with the runner-up, Ma Fee Heela, going on to run a blinder in a hot handicap at the Curragh last week, the form looks fairly reliable. Back over the sort of trip which saw him finish a creditable third to the classy Irishcorrespondent the time before, the son of Rip Van Winkle can keep the positive momentum going until meeting tougher assignments further down the line.

STORM RANGER (best price 7-2) clocked a decent speed figure for the grade when finally getting off the mark at the 15th time of asking at Tipperary last week and providing he’s in a similar sort of mood, there’s every chance the ‘wait ages for a bus then two come along theory’, can play out yet again. Settled in mid-division off solid early fractions, Pat Flynn’s gelding picked up nicely to make his challenge approaching the two-furlong pole and from that point onwards, he pulled readily clear in the closing stages. The runner-up, Settle For Red, who’d gone into the form in top form, gives the race a solid look, and now racing back around a track that he’s gone well numerous times in the past, the son of Bushranger looks booked to go well again from his favourable inside draw.

Based on her recent exploits over hurdles NICARAGUA (best price 20-1) looks crazily overpriced at 20-1 and she simply has to be backed at those odds despite her draw being a little unkind. Hugely disappointing when she last set foot on tonight’s track last September, the heavy ground was the main contributory factor why she bombed out so badly that day, but if you take her form on good ground or faster as a better guide, her figures read 214241. Indeed, one of those performances came courtesy of a five-length romp over 1m 4f at the Co Kilkenny venue this time last year and off only a 2lb higher mark this evening (actually less if you take into account Killian Leonard’s claim), it’s clear she could be a very well handicapped horse. Moreover, her recent form over hurdles, including her latest victory over the massively improved Is She Diesel (now rated 125) at Clonmel suggest she’s improved significantly in the last twelve months, also adds weight to the theory the daughter of Zamindar will play a more prominent role in this race than her position in the market suggests.