Andy Holding's Wednesday Racing Tips

As it transpired, SILVA ECLIPSE (NAP) (best price 9-4) faced an almost impossible task trying to keep tabs with the potentially very smart Noble Robin at Wetherby last time, but as the winner could easily turn out to be a Graded horse in the making, the suggestion is that Sue Smith’s charge still ran to a level way beyond his current rating and that makes him look particularly well treated on handicap debut. In typical gutsy fashion, in-keeping of the yard’s runners, the five-year-old the grey kept on all the way to the line without having the class of the winner at the Yorkshire venue and having also shown a decent level of form when runner-up to another useful recruit the time before, the fact that he now receives weight off plenty of fairly exposed-looking handicappers, makes him a very tempting proposition on his first outing in this sphere. 

Although GENERAL JACK (best price 6-1) failed to make a real impact on his debut over today’s course last time out, he left the impression he was by far and away the nicest prospect of the field going forward and he’s strongly fancied to vindicate that viewpoint with that all-important initial run under his belt. Well-backed beforehand (10-1 into 9-4), Eve Johnson Houghton’s inmate ended up giving his supporters little hope of collecting following a tardy start, but the way he finished off his race in the straight from an uncompromising position off the home turn, strongly suggested those that took part in the gamble weren’t a million miles away with their judgement. Well drawn today, hopefully a cleaner break will result in a better early track position and if so, the son of Society Rock has the capabilities to feature heavily in the final outcome despite the drop back a furlong being a slight concern.