Andy Holding's Wednesday Racing Tips

The race won by Mojito at York’s Ebor meeting 12 days ago was a very strong one of its kind and having run well to finish a creditable sixth behind William Haggas’ improving three-year-old, ZYMYRAN (best price 9-2) makes plenty of appeal in this slightly less exacting company. In a contest run at an extremely strong pace from the outset (fastest furlong-per-furlong time on the seven-race card), David Simcock’s charge found himself unable to go the early gallop, but picking up nicely down the straight, he managed to tick off many flagging rivals one by one, and in the end to only get beat five lengths by a horse verging on Group class has to be seen as a positive return. Prior to that excellent effort on the Knavesmire, he’d showed a willing attitude when scoring in the first-time hood at Newmarket seven days earlier and with today’s stiff mile likely to play into his strengths, he rates a very tempting each-way proposition providing all eight go to post.

Despite the narrow winning margin, W G GRACE (best price 6-1) proved he’s a horse potentially way ahead of his current handicap mark and he’s fancied to supplement those gains now switching his attentions back to the turf. Well-backed to make a winning beginning in nursery company, Mark Johnston’s inmate had to do things the hard way at Kempton 15 days ago as he was taken on and given little peace from the start. Fending off a series of challengers that were intent of softening him up, the son of the Exceed and Excel did extremely well, therefore, to see them all off one by one and have enough left in the tank to keep on willingly all the way to the line. Because he only scored by a neck, the assessor couldn’t exact the sort of punishment the actual performance probably deserved and for that reason, he remains a two-year-old to keep on side for the foreseeable future.

Quite a few lightly-raced and unexposed three-year-old’s with plenty of potential face the starter here, none more so than MIRIMAR (NAP) (best price 4-1), and he rates the value call of the big three in the market. Having caught the eye in no uncertain terms on his final outing in maiden company, it was no great surprise to see Ed Vaughan’s inmate come in for sustained support on handicap debut at Lingfield last time out and he didn’t disappoint, winning with more in hand than the official margin suggested (raced lazily before getting well on top close home). Not only does he appeal as the sort of horse to progress even further granted a stiffer test, the booking of excellent apprentice, Edward Greatrex, provides even more confidence and it’s hard to see him not going well with plenty seemingly in his favour.

CASH IN MIND (best price 9-1) ran a tremendous race at Killarney last time out and with that performance very much seen as a step in the right direction, he can go close to scoring for the first time for new connections. Staying on strongly in the closing stages from an unpromising position at halfway, Des Donavan’s inmate clocked the best finishing sectionals of any horse during that seven-race card and given that there was a listed race run over the very same C&D half-an-hour later, it shows just what kind of level he was operating at that evening.