Andy Holding's Friday Racing Tips

SILVER STARLIGHT (best price 6-1) was heavily involved in a hot nursery at York last time out and a repeat of that sort of level of form should be good enough to see Tim Easterby’s filly right in the thick of the action once again. Showing a willing attitude when scoring by a narrow margin at Ripon the time before, the daughter of Showcasing expressed a similar keenness to please by keeping on well for second on the Knavesmire, and with the time figure that day indicating in a was a fair race of its kind, there’s every reason to believe those numbers will count for plenty now she races over an extra furlong.

CUT THE CORNER (best price 7-4) looked on good terms with himself when scoring in some style here last week and despite the slight concern about the drop back to the minimum trip, he’s fancied to follow up under a mandatory 7lb penalty. In what turned out to be a very strongly run affair, Alastair Ralph’s inmate stayed on best of all in the final half mile and with the ‘right’ horses well beaten in behind, the form looks totally reliable. Likely to be run at a similarly decent clip courtesy of The Yank and Desertmore View in the field, the race should set up perfect for the son of Vinnie Roe, who is also the only course winner of the sextet.

As Silent Sun proved last night at Limerick and Hello Sweetie at Ballinrobe earlier in the week, the form of the race won by Mr Chambers at Cork two weeks ago is pretty useful for the grade (decent time figure) and having run well to finish a creditable third that day, FIDDLERS BOW (NAP) (best price 9-2) must have bright prospects of going close in this similar contest this evening now stepping backing up to a more favourable trip. Looking a little rusty after a long break at Clonmel two stars ago, Shark Hanlon’s inmate bounced back to his consistent best with an effort at the Mallow venue which suggested his career win-to-run ratio could get a significant boost in the not too distant future. In the frame on all three starts he’s raced left-handed, he also has a fine record when ridden by tonight’s pilot Davy Russell (44123) and with plenty of soft ground form to call upon, the forecast rain for this evening is unlikely to inconvenience him as it will many others.

MANKIND (best price 7-2) shaped with a good deal of promise on his debut at Ascot two weeks ago and in-keeping with the way his stable’s juveniles often improve significantly for the run, a decent performance looks on the cards from George Scott’s inmate. Slowly away from the gates at the Berkshire venue (not quite as bad as James Garfield on debut but bad enough to put him on the back foot), the son of Dabirsim found himself in last place as the field covered the first two furlongs, but in a sustained run down the middle of the course from the three-furlong marker, he pleasingly worked himself into a position where he was challenging for the lead. Unfortunately, unable to maintain the effort all the way to the line, he had to settle for a minor role, but he certainly did more than enough in large chunks of that race to suggest he would be a totally different proposition next time out with that all-important run under his belt.

TSUNDOKU (best price 9-1) has looked fairly ordinary to say the least on her four starts on the Flat to date, but having scored in tidy fashion over hurdles recently, there may be a chink of light at the end of the tunnel now back on the level racing over a more favourable trip. Slow away and never really a factor on here previous visit to tonight’s track over 1m 4f (hung left in the straight), Alexandra Dunn’s inmate proved a totally different proposition given a much stiffer test in a 2m 4f mares’ handicap hurdle at Uttoxeter when last seen (smart speed figure fort the grade), and with this race this evening bound to be a thoroughly gruelling contest thanks to the worsening underfoot conditions, she at least will have the necessary stamina to see it through more than most.