Andy Holding's Saturday Horse Racing Tips

Nyaleti sets the clear standard with her excellent efforts in the Chesham and Duke Of Cambridge Stakes respectively, but she has yet to encounter soft whereas NEOLA (best price 8-1) will love any further ease underfoot and rates the value bet at the prices. A wide-margin winner on good to soft ground at Nottingham on her second outing, Mick Channon’s inmate was then unlucky to bump into the very smart Main Desire when raised in grade at York next time, but at least it confirmed she was up to that class and also her likely for testing conditions. Despite the terrain being on the quick side for her in the Queen Mary, she still came out of the race with great credit and now returning to her ideal conditions, the daughter of Foxwedge looks overpriced with plenty seemingly in her favour.

On her day, BUSH BEAUTY (best price 16-1) is thoroughly capable of punching above her weight when conditions are in her favour, so if the ground does ride on the testing side at the Roodee this afternoon, Eric Alston’s mare is well worth a small interest at 16-1. Although she hasn’t won for a while, it’s worth pointing out the last time she did get her head in front it came in spectacular fashion on soft ground over today’s C&D and following another sound effort back here in June, it’s pretty clear that a well-run race, around sharp bends, help this strongly-travelling daughter of Bushranger to engage her mind.

MOBSTA (best price 25-1) has been banging his head against a brick wall for the thick end of a season trying to mix it against the very best sprinters, so he should find life a little easier in these calmer waters on only his second start in handicap company. Not surprisingly given his love for soft ground, Mick Channon’s inmate found himself outpaced in his last two starts under fast conditions, but if you go back to only four outings ago, and he only just finished outside of the money in the Group 2 Duke Of York Stakes over today’s C&D – staying on well in the latter stages. Given there were plenty of big names in behind him that day including The Tin Man, Brando and Jungle Cat, it’s pretty clear he ran up to a decent standard that afternoon, and with conditions on the Knavesmire set to ride similar due to persistent rain in the last 24 hours, the Bushranger gelding looks an insulting and crazy price at 25-1.

The usually rule of thumb with these big-field, straight track handicaps here is to look for horses with previous solid form over the C&D, but a chance is taken on MJJACK (best price 33-1) bucking that trend on his first visit to the Berkshire venue with the ground in his favour. Upped in trip to 7f for the first time, Karl Burke’s charge found the necessary improvement to capture a decent handicap at Doncaster on heavy ground and once again he made another leap forward next time at Haydock under similar conditions. Quickening really well in the closing stages that day, the son of Elzaam ran the last three furlongs faster than the 110-rated Absolutely So, who took the Group 3 John Of Gaunt Stakes on the same card and a repeat of that sort of performance alone would give him a better chance than his 33-1 odds imply. Unsuited by the way the race developed on a fast surface over a mile at the Curragh last time, he was still by no means disgraced in listed company, and providing his draw in stall 26 turns out to be okay (housed close to many of the main players), there’s every chance this big, scopey sort will outrun his odds.

For those that like to play one back to the bowler with a straight bat, REMARKABLE (best price 12-1) is one for the nudge and hurdlers who prefer to go with the safer option back over his favourite track. Although yet to win at the Berkshire venue in five attempts, he has run plenty of notable races in defeat and following a far more encouraging performance at Newbury last week on soft ground, conditions have come just right for John Godsend’s charge to put up another solid display.

ICE COLD IN ALEX (best price 10-1) has a bit of a patchy profile, but he’s shown on several occasions that he has more ability than he’s letting on and he’s worth a small interest at the prices following two promising efforts so far this term. Firstly, his run when runner-up to the useful Patuano is perfectly respectable form in context of today’s race and so was his eye-catching performance at Naas last time out when he met all the trouble in the world before flashing home to be a never-nearer seventh behind the in-form Polly Douglas. Sandwiched in between, however, was an inexplicably poor run over today’s course and that’s the one thing that prevents going in large on this talented, but enigmatic three-year-old.