Andy Holding's Wednesday Racing Tips

TAKE TWO (best price 10-1) has still to get his head in front on the all-weather (seven times winner on turf) – which is obviously of some concern – but he’s certainly done more than enough on many occasions to suggest his time will come sooner rather than later and today’s contest offers another decent opportunity for Alex Hales’ inmate to make the breakthrough. Denied by a narrow margin at Kempton two starts ago, the eight-year-old turned in a decent effort last time out at Wolverhampton in a race that was truly run and if he hadn’t forfeited many lengths at the start, he might have played a more significant role in the finish. Hopefully, the son of Act One will break a little more alertly here this afternoon and give himself a better chance of being competitive as his performance levels and time figures point towards him having brighter prospects than his morning odds suggest.

MUNDERSFIELD (NAP) (best price 10-3) shaped with plenty of promise on debut at Wolverhampton and given just normal improvement, David Simcock’s charge will surely be a significant factor with that all-important experience under her belt. Typical of a filly having her first day at school, she was a little slowly into her stride and green early on, but she made some nice late headway in that well-run extended mile contest 23 days to suggest she will be a more potent force with a stiffer examination. Indeed, most of Nathaniel’s offspring tend to improve for middle-distances, so let’s hope this three-year-old filly proves no different on her second outing.

MR CHRISTOPHER (best price 10-3) was desperately unlucky to get picked off the rapidly-improving Malaspina at Southwell last time out, but that effort breeds confidence that he can gain compensation returning to a track where he’s a four-time course winner. Cutting out the running is typically tenacious fashion, the Bahamian Bounty gelding looked to have burnt off his rivals at the East Midland track 11 days ago, but despite giving it all he’d got inside the final furlong, the late thrust of the eventually winner was just too much to contain. He did, however, pull nicely clear of the rest and with the time figure very good for the grade and the fourth home, Bold Spirit, going on to boost the form subsequently, the five-year-old should make a bold attempt to back up that tremendous performance. 

AZAM (best price 9-1) ran a good deal better than the bare result suggested in a decent heat at Wolverhampton last time out and he’s taken to build on that promising effort and become more than just a casual observer this time around. Clearly, Michael Appleby’s inmate has had one or two issues of late based on his patchy profile, but he showed at the Dunstall Park venue that there’s still plenty of natural ability under the bonnet proving the wheels can be kept on and he’s certainly worth a try over today’s trip to see whether that works the trick. Likely to be given plenty of chance to see out the extra four furlongs by being switched off out the back, hopefully that son of Dansili will have enough left in the tank to throw down a challenge in the latter stages.