Andy Holding's Wednesday Racing Tips

The four-year-olds appear to hold the key to this contest and of the pair, RANDALLS UR POET (NAP) (best price 9-2) comes across as a very solid-looking each-way proposition given his overall form and general consistency. Although yet to win a race in seven starts over hurdles, Seamus Fahey’s inmate has run a series of fine races in defeat, the latest when coming in a competitive handicap against the older brigade at Naas. Keeping on quite well in the closing stages, the Urban Poet gelding managed to get without a length of the track specialist and previous winner, Mick The Boyo, and a performance somewhere in that region here this afternoon should see him competitive once again. Prior to that solid effort, he’d run respectably behind two useful juveniles in the shape of Espoir D’allen and Mitchouka over today’s C&D and with heavy ground also of no concern, the list positives are there for all to see.

Twin Appeal won a similar race to this in a fast time back in December so he has to be respected, but there’s no denying the unlucky horse in that race was EXCHEQUER (best price 9-2) and although he’s not the greatest value in the world around the 4-1 mark, he’s still fancied to turn around the form and end a frustrating run of placed efforts. Held up going well at the Dunstall Park venue that day, David O’Meara’s inmate was being brought with what looked a potent challenge approaching the final furlong only for the door to be slammed in his face, and although he did manage to run on nicely once out in the clear to salvage something from the wreckage, his winning chance was scuppered. Two useful placed efforts have ensued and the son of Exceed And Excel should get the decent pace to shoot at he requires to be at his best.

LORD MURPHY (best price 7-2) isn’t the easiest of characters to predict, but he does have ability at this level and there’s a decent chance he can return to winning ways back to the scene of his only two previous victories. In cracking form this time last year which resulted in a couple of C&D wins, Mark Loughnane’s charge has found it a bit of a struggle thereafter – in-keeping with most of the yard’s fortunes at the time – but now with his stable in form and arriving here off the back of a more encouraging performance at Lingfield last time out, there’s plenty more confidence attached to his chance. Moreover, the tongue-tie/hood combination that were seen to good effect 12 days ago are once again in operation and from a nice draw right in the middle of the pack, the five-year-old gelding should be able to work his way into a challenging position swinging for home.