Andy Holding's Thursday Racing Tips

WESTERN JO (best price 10-3) returned to form with a bang last time out at Hexham and he’s expected to go well again with conditions very much in his favour. Always moving easily on the heavy ground 12 days ago, Sam England’s charge bounded up the hill full of running after tanking along at a fair pace throughout, and with his winning time representing his total superiority over his rivals, he clearly is in the type of shape at present to offset his hefty hike in the ratings.

Although CALIVIGNY (best price 12-1) has the sort of patchy profile that could never warrant a confident bet, he might just be the type to catch right first time out and, as a result, he rates a dangerous floater. Despite running several decent races in defeat last year, everything looking a bit of struggle for Nick Alexander’s charge at times, so it will be interesting to see whether the fitting of cheekpieces first time have a galvanising affect. Moreover, his best effort last season came over today’s C&D when he was fifth in a race which worked out extremely well through the early part of the campaign and that’s one of several pegs to hat your hat on where this fella is concerned. 

Monksland should prove to be a different class to this sort of opposition, but the battle for the runner-up spot looks to be wide open and POLAR PRESENT (best price 9-1) might be capable of springing a surprise with fitness on her side. A rapid improver throughout the summer jumping period, a wide-margin victory in a fast time sparked connections to have a tilt at trying to gain some all-important black type for the breeding sheds at Gowran last time out and that goal was achieved in decent fashion as she chased home the very useful Mystic Theatre at the Co Kilkenny venue. Although she tried to match strides with Willie Mullins’ improving mare 27 days ago, she couldn’t quite live with the short-priced favourite in the final half mile, but the fact she did manage to finish well clear of the rest despite expended plenty of energy in chasing a hopeless cause, says a lot for her current wellbeing. With several of these having their first outings for some time and likely to be using this race as a stepping-stone for future targets (Cantlow being a perfect example), Seamus Fahey’s charge can take advantage of that likely outcome and outrun his official rating.

Using the old guideline that there’s usually a 40lb difference between a horse’s handicap rating on the Flat compared to the jumps, BANDITRY (NAP) (best price 9-4) looks incredibly well treated off 121 on his first attempt in his new discipline. Runner-up to the smart Laraaib off a mark of 94 at Ascot when last seen on the level back in June (third favourite here, Captain Felix, rated 71 on the Flat), Ian Williams’ inmate took advantage of what appeared to be a golden opportunity for him to finally break his duck on his return to hurdles on his latest start and although many might have just brushed the performance under the carpet given it looked fairly ordinary form at the time, the speed figure suggested it was an effort of some merit. Indeed, those that finished behind the son of Iffraaj that day – such as Zen Master (won), Arthur’s Gift (second), Volvalien (second) and Frankie Rapper (third) - have all gone on to prove the race in question was much better than at first perceived and with the official assessor keeping the five-year-old on the same perch as he was going into that heat at the Midland venue, once again this looks like a decent chance starring him in the face.