Andy Holding's Thursday Racing Tips

How DECISION MAKER (best price 5-1) is still a maiden is a total head-scratcher and he looks to have a great chance of finally getting his head in front at a track he seemed to take to last time out. Having started life over a mile, Roy Bowring’s inmate has found the distance bar gradually dropping and on his first outing over the minimum trip here last time out, he showed all the traits of a proper five-furlong sprinter. Travelling strongly throughout, the Iffraaj gelding was just outrun in the dying strides by the well-backed 4-9 poke Gustav Fring, but with the pair pulling well clear of the rest and the time figure very good, the four-year-old arguably posted a career-best performance. Although Axe Cap rates a tough in-form rival and Kodi Beach looks a dangerous floater, it’s still hard to see him not hitting the frame at the very least.

There’s a strong probability that LUCKIME (best price 20-1) will have handicaps as he main objective further down the line and today won’t necessarily be the day the red light flashes to green (needs this run for a mark), but he’s showed enough promise in two very useful novice hurdles on the speed figures to at least include in him calculations this afternoon and at the prices he’s just too big to give up completely. His latest effort, for instance, was in a very strongly-run affair at Bangor and given that he wasn’t subjected to a particularly hard ride and still finished in and around some useful sorts suggested there are races to be won with this likeable son of Oscar. Whatever his fate this afternoon, Venetia Williams’ grey is definitely one worth keeping on side for the future.

As always seems to be the case nowadays, Doug Watson has another strong hand in a race over in the desert and of the trio he sends to post, THEGREATCOLLECTION (best price 10-1) makes the most appeal at the prices. Off the mark at the third time of asking for new connections when the tongue tie was dispensed back in November, the son of Saint Anddan ran as well as could be expected given that he was handed the unfavourable outside drawn here last time out. Slow away and racing wide throughout, the four-year-old forfeited an inordinate amount ground to his rivals 14 days ago, so it was to his great credit and ability that he kept on plugging away down the straight to gain a creditable second place spot behind the more efficiently ridden Secret Ambition. Although stall seven isn’t brilliant today either, he’s surely going to be able to cover less ground than he did last time out and with a better break and early track position, it’s easy to see him outrunning his odds with his valuable fitness advantage.

Both BACCARAT (best price 7-1) and FINAL VENTURE (best price 5-1) have had quite a few dust-ups at today’s venue and having also run against some of the better sprinters to be seen at this track in recent times, they are worth siding with against the field. The former gained the day on their first encounter here last season when he overcame a 135-day layoff to win with a bit to spare and even though he failed in his bid to follow next time out, there was certainly no disgrace to get beaten by stable mate Jungle Cat, who went on to do the form proud in the Group 1 Al Quoz sprint on Dubai World Cup night. Clearly capable of going well fresh, the Dutch Art gelding represents a team who’ve got an amazing record on the turf track at this venue (two winners here last week) and he’d fancied to keep defying his age. The latter is a pretty consistent and reliable sort in these kind of events and he once again came out of his last race with great credit. Although no match for the formidable Ertijaal, to only get beat four lengths by easily the best 5f sprinter seen at the track since its development says a lot for his qualities, and now returning to his optimum distance with that all-important run under his belt, Paul Midgley’s inmate looks booked to go close.

As it turned out, THE GRAPE ESCAPE (best price 28-1) probably didn’t have too many options here last week being housed on the wing in stall 16 and, as a result, he rather paid in the latter stages for going off way too hard inside the final furlong. That said, he did keep on as well as could be expected to finish a creditable sixth behind probably the best set of performers seen during the winter so far, and with the speed figure of the race also suggesting the form is top-class, the son of Arakan is afforded another chance now better drawn and back over his more favoured mile trip. A useful and progressive handicapper when in the care of Richard Hannon in the UK, Hussian Aldailami’s inmate certainly has enough quality to put up a bold show in a race of this nature and providing he can be ridden with a little more restraint this time around, his big double-figure quotes may prove to be way off the mark.