Andy Holding's Saturday Racing Tips

ABOLITIONIST (best price 2-1), third to the classy Our Duke in the 2017 Irish National off a mark of 145 looks the proverbial handicap good thing off a 23lb lower mark, so it’s just a question of whether his canny handler has him fit after his enforced 441-day layoff. 

Clearly, something must have been amiss with Dr Newland’s gelding as he was talked up as potential Grand National horse last year only to be withdrawn at the first forfeit stage. Likely to have the world’s greatest chase as a target again this season if all goes well, this sort of race looks the ideal stepping-stone to begin his campaign and with the theory that most of these modern-day trainers are much more adept at getting their horses fitter after long breaks than their counterparts of previous generations, the likelihood is that this 10-year-old will be pretty close to match sharpness for his comeback.

As it turned out, the combination of seven-furlongs in soft ground and a high draw counted against EIRENE (best price 9-1) at Ascot last time out, but now returning to the scene of a place where’s gone particularly well in the past, Dean ivory’s filly is worth small interest to round off her campaign in style.
A smart two-year-old, this was always going to be a season for the daughter of Declaration Of War, but by and large she’s managed to acquitted herself with credit on each of her starts.

A winner on the all-weather at Chelmsford back in August, the three-year-old posted a career-high effort when runner-up in the Sceptre Stakes over today’s course a month later, where once again she travelled up well over seven furlongs before not quite getting home in the closing stages. 

Dropping back to her favoured distance here this afternoon, she should give a good account providing the course conditions don’t deteriorate too much in the build-up.

Despite falling early on chase debut, VISION DES FLOS (NAP) (best price 5-2) may still have a future over the larger obstacles, but for now, this looks a good opportunity for Colin Tizzard’s gelding to get back on track. A hugely impressive winner on his seasonal bow last year, the son of Balko was pitched into the deep end in the Grade 1 Neptune Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival and although he came up a little bit short on the day, he was by no means disgraced in only getting beaten nine lengths by the mighty Samcro.

A staying-on second to Lalor in another high-quality affair when back in trip next time out over today’s course, he once again filled out the same position in the Irish version at the Punchestown festival on his final gig of the campaign.

The fact that he began the season over fences over 2m 5f suggests that connections see him more of a stayer and if that turns out to be the case, the scopey five-year-old may just have enough quality to make his presence felt against many of his rivals who are now on the back nine of their careers.

VERDANA BLUE (best price 5-2) probably isn’t the classiest of this field or has the most potential to reach the very top, but what she does have heavily in her favour here this afternoon is a fitness edge and that positive asset allied to the decent ground makes her the safest option. 

A smooth winner in a fast time on the all-weather at Chelmsford in September, Nicky Henderson’s mare vindicated her wellbeing with a similarly cosy success when heavily backed on her return to the Winter game at Kempton last time out.

Although she could do without the forecast heavy rain in the build up to the race, hopefully the conditions won’t deteriorate too much from the good-to-firm ground at declaration stage, but even withstanding that, she still has top class handicap form on good-to-soft ground courtesy of her excellent third to Hunters Call in the big pre-Christmas handicap at Ascot and with all her best form coming on flat, right-handed tracks, today’s terrain should prove ideal for the reliable daughter of Getaway.

The time when lightly-raced, improving young horses made hay in these big Saturday handicaps are few and far between nowadays, but in the shape of BUZZ (best price 9-1), Hughie Morrison’s four-year-old could well turn out to be one for the old traditionalists.

Beginning the season off a mark of just 83, the son of Motivator has worked his way through the ranks following two victories on the all-weather at Kempton and one at Newbury last time out, and it’s that latter performance which really does make him such an appealing proposition. Travelling smoothly in behind the speed at the Berkshire track, the likeable grey took a while to hit top stride as the pace increased in the home straight, but once in full cry late on, he found the necessary change of gear to wear down Mountain Angel.

Looking at his closing sectionals that day, it’s noticeable that he managed to post better splits that the 112-rated Young Rascal (won Group 3) from the four-furlong pole and with the third and eighth going on to fight out the finish of a competitive York handicap subsequently, the form looks very solid. A previous winner over 1m 3f, he should be better suited by the step back up in trip on Town Moor, and with him having quality form on a variety of surfaces, he shouldn’t be too inconvenienced if there’s any rain in the area during the day.

It's been a pretty retched year for John Best, as only three winners from 108 runners testifies, but at least one of his stable stars, EDDYSTONE ROCK (best price 14-1), arrives here in decent enough shape and he could well in a race where he finished a creditable third last season. On his latest outing at Naas, the six-year-old gelding caught the eye with the way he finished off his race in the latter stages and as he was up against arguable the best set of middle-distance handicappers assembled in Ireland so far this season, the performance deserves plenty praise.

Looking back at this race last year, the son of Rock Of Gibraltar may have gone very close to winning with a clearer run down the straight and with a decent middle draw and ideal underfoot conditions to suit, he makes far more appeal than his form figures suggest at first glance.

The more you watch these big Saturday handicap chases, the biggest factor seems to be which horse gets into the best rhythm over the fences and if there was ever a combination designed to fit that criteria, it’s PRESENT MAN (best price 11-2) and Bryony Frost. 

The first time this duo teamed up was in a novices’ hurdle at Kempton last October and straight away the pair gelled beautifully, and that solid partnership was cemented even more when they took this corresponding race twelve months ago. Setting a strong gallop from the start, Paul Nicholls’ gelding fended off a whole host of challengers in the final mile to record a game victory over the smart Final Nudge, and with the rest of the opposition strung out like washing over the West Country venue, it was pretty clear that the eight-year-old had sorted the men out from the boys.

Rounding off his season with a tremendous effort behind the well-handicapped Step Back in the Bet365 Handicap Chase at Sandown, the son of Presenting arrives here off a 3lb lower mark and with a record when fresh that reads 2126211143, the best time to catch this bold-jumping, front-running stayer is first time out.