Andy Holding's Thursday Racing Tips

MULLINAVAT (NAP) (best price 6-4) was still bang in contention and going well enough to suggest he would have taken a hand in the finish had he stayed on his feet over hurdles at Cork last time out and providing his confidence isn’t too badly shaken (was a nasty tumble), then there’s every chance he can regain the winning thread on his return to the larger obstacles. A ready winner on his first outing for new connections over fences at Wexford back in June, Henry De Bromhead’s inmate failed in his bid to exploit what looked a very lenient mark over timber next time over today’s course, but try as he might to land the gamble, he had the misfortune to bump into a very tenacious Sharjah on a going day. Back to form when a game runner-up to the useful Archive in a fast time on his next start, the son of Beneficial would have a fine chance of disposing of tonight’s line-up if running a similar level and with conditions to suit, there’s a deal of confidence behind him doing just that.

A good deal depends on what the conditions are like at the Co Waterford venue as there isn’t a great deal to choose between ZANJABEEL (best price 11-2) and Beautiful Ben on their recent Cork clash, but the former would be a more potent threat tonight if the ground stays good. Both were heavily involved in what turned out to be a burn up on the speed figures 10 days ago and although Gordon Elliot’s charge came out worse of the argument in third, his overall profile suggests he’s the more reliable of the pair nowadays. Prior to that excellent effort, the son of Aussie Rules had proven himself over tonight’s C&D with a comfortable victory back here in June and with gallop likely to be a fairly brisk one this evening courtesy of Sharjah being in the field, the four-year-old should get the perfect tow into the race.

MAGDAWIRI (best price 12-1) posted extremely good figures for the grade when landing a hugely-competitive heat over tonight’s C&D last time and is fancied to repeat the dose off only a 7lb higher mark. Dropped out the back on account of his poor high draw, Paul Deegan’s inmate found himself with what appeared a mountain to climb at the field turned for the judge, but finding a tremendous burst of speed down the outside in the home straight, he somehow managed to rescue the situation and get up in the shadows of the post. Not only did the son of Casamento post a useful overall figure, his final three furlong split of 36.1, was a full second quicker that The Pentagon who took the Group 3 Tyros Stakes half an hour earlier, so based on those findings, he clearly is a well handicapped horse and should take all the beating again providing the conditions at the Dublin venue don’t deteriorate (has acted well enough on soft but better on decent ground).