Andy Holding's Friday Racing Tips

Although still a maiden, ZAAKI (best price 4-1) has done enough in three starts to suggest he’s easily up to the standard required for today’s task and following a cracking effort in the Acomb Stakes at York last time out, he’s ready to take some more notable scalps. Fifth behind the smart Gustav Klint at Newmarket the time before, Mohamed Moubarak’s charge shaped with even more promise on the Knavesmire last time out – staying on pleasingly from the back of the field – and having the size and scope to continue to progress into a useful three-year-old next year, this race provides the perfect platform to sign off for the winter on a high.

The well-oiled phrase, Group-horse masquerading as a handicapper, is bandied about far too often nowadays, but in the case of SHARJA BRIDGE (NAP) (best price 15-8), the clique brigade have valid grounds for their choice of phrase on this occasion. Placed on his first two starts in useful maidens, Roger Varian’s inmate improved dramatically on his third and most recent outing when stepped up to 1m 2f for the first time and the hardest job Andrea Atzeni had that afternoon was to keep the winning margin down to four lengths. Always tanking along in the hands of the Italian, the son of Oasis Dream clocked a very smart set of closing sectionals despite being heavily eased inside the last furlong and representing a stable in tip-top shape at the moment, this big, imposing colt should make light work of his opening mark of 95.

The race won by Fortune’s Pearl at Newmarket several weeks ago was noted for its very strong pace throughout for a two-year-old event and having finished off his race eye-catchingly well from the back of the field that day, DEYAARMA (best price 5-2) is strongly fancied to find the necessary step forward in order to score at the second time of asking. Outpaced and completely clueless through the early exchanges, Saeed Bin Suroor’s inmate found himself with fresh air behind him with three furlongs to run, but finishing his race off best of all, he somehow managed to drag himself into a respectable fifth place at the line. Indeed, a closer examination of his closing sectionals that day revealed he ran the last three furlongs in a faster split than the winner, so with just normal improvement mentally rather than physically, the son of Kitten’s Joy should be in a much better place to push for a much better result.

Proven course form on heavy ground is a prerequisite for success under the prevailing conditions at this venue, so SILVER PLANEUR (best price 14-1) and GOLD SMOKE (best price 16-1), first and fifth respectively here earlier on at the fixture make plenty of appeal at their morning odds. The winner, off the mark at the ninth time of asking five days ago, seemed to really appreciate the testing nature of the examination paper set before her and given that she was at her strongest in the final half mile of what turned out to be a well-run contest, today’s step up to 3m could bring even further improvement. The latter has been running fairly consistently all summer and she also comes into the equation despite being beaten fair and square the other day. Unlike her old rival, the daughter of Gold Well has already got proven form over today’s trip in the book and she appears to have been unwisely dismissed despite having plenty to recommend.