Andy Holding's Saturday Racing Tips

Willie Mullins looks to have a very strong hand in this Grade 2 novices’ chase, sending CADMIUM (best price 2-1) and Voix Du Reve to post, and of the pair, the former makes the most appeal on account of his best career performances coming over today’s course.

The first indication he was well suited by the Co Kildare venue was when he captured a big-field handicap at the Festival back in April and with the time figure also backing up the visual evidence of the display, the son of Early March had to be quickly marked down as a young chaser going places. Upped in grade, the six-year-old followed up in impressive fashion at Roscommon on his next start and then following two indifferent performances at Galway and back at the former venue, he returned to something like his best when returning to his old stomping ground 31 days ago. Off the back of solid fractions set by the front-running Ornua, Willie Mullins’ gelding proved too strong for his main market rival in the closing stages and with that effort proving once again that he’s very much at his best when coming off a sound pace over this right-handed galloping track, the way today’s race is likely to pan out could well play into his hands once again.

There’s no denying that COGRY (best price 9-1) is still capable of throwing in the odd stinker from left field – usually a by-product of his indifferent jumping – but as we saw over today’s course last time out, he’s also a very smart staying chaser when he gets his act together, so providing that latest performance hasn’t taken an edge off him, there’s a compelling case to be made for him going well again on his return visit to Prestbury Park. Always on the sharp end of what turned out to be a relentless pace set by the trail-blazing West Approach 21 days ago, the son of King’s Theatre looked a threat throughout the entire 3m 1f journey - jumping and travelling well by his standards - and even though he couldn’t quite fend off the late thrust of Relentless Dreamer up the hill, the nine-year-old had to be carried out on his shield. A creditable fourth in this race back in 2015, Nigel Twiston-Davies’ gelding has by and large gone well in all his subsequent efforts around this demanding circuit and with the better ground seen as a positive help in the jumping department, he should be capable of another bold shout if on-song.

Without doubt, one of the trickiest and most competitive renewals of this valuable prize seen for many years where there are plausible cases to be made for virtually the entire field. One of the key form guides could turn out to be the big novices’ handicap chase at last season’s Festival which was fought out by MISTER WHITTAKER (best price 8-1) and Rather Be and it would come as no surprise if one of the two were to oblige. Of the pair, the former makes the most appeal at the morning odds as he’s already proven his wellbeing this season with a game victory at Carlisle on his return to action 13 days ago. Despite just a small field, the tempo was honest throughout and in typically gutsy fashion, Mick Channon’s gelding stayed on bravely all the way up the hill to the line. That trait of seeing out the trip in a well-run affair was also evident here twice last season and despite the weights and measures brigade trying to put a fork in him for creeping up to 152, similar marks for the likes of Al Ferof, Old Vic, Cyfor Malta and Taquin du Seuil didn’t prevent their class from shining through. With many firms going five, six and in some cases seven places, it’s hard to see this likeable on of Court Cave not filling out one of those spots with a clear round.

Whether WEST APPROACH (best price 16-1) truly has both paddles in the water is open to debate, but as we saw here last time out, Colin Tizzard’s mercurial character has tons of ability and if those qualities can be harnessed in the right direction this afternoon, there’s no reason why he couldn’t play a significant role. Taking off in the early stages once out on the clear on his reappearance over 3m 1f at the last meeting, the son of Westerner amazingly still had enough in the locker to finish a creditable third despite racing with the choke out for the best part of two circuits and any horse capable of that sort of performance around much a demanding track clearly has a massive engine. The big question now is how will connections decide to ride the eight-year-old now dropping back in trip? Hopefully they won’t get suckered into going completely bonkers in the first mile as that could potentially be tactical suicide (traditionally difficult to make all in this race down the years) but providing he does receive a ride with a degree of thought and finesse, he could just turn out to be one of the surprise packages of the race.

Of the others, it’s easy to see why Kalondra has proved popular in the last few days as the combination of his overall form around here, good ground and stable form all add up to provide Neil Mulholland’s charge with compelling claims. The way he tanked through a similar competitive handicap on the New Course on his final start last season highlighted his big engine and he might have well been arriving here off the back of a victory if he hadn’t dived at the second last and fallen on his most recent outing at Galway. Providing his confidence still remain intact, this strong-travelling seven-year-old seems likely to play a significant role.

The way that ACCLAMATIO (NAP) (best price 9-2) really pointed his toe when scoring with any amount in hand at Clonmel on the Flat last time out strongly suggests he needs fast ground to be at his best, so with no rain forecast and the ground conditions reportedly ‘good’, Tony Martin’s gelding makes quite a bit of appeal retuning to hurdles off what looks a very attractive mark. Always moving sweetly at the Co Tipperary venue, the son of Acclamation breezed into the lead approaching the two furlongs pole and from that point onwards, he stretched out beautifully to score by a long-looking eight lengths from a competitive bunch of rivals. Obviously, his form figures so far to date over hurdles are pretty unappealing to say the least, but the reasons for those moderate performances stem from the fact he’s encountered unfavourable soft underfoot conditions on virtually each outing. Therefore, with his confidence high and a perfect surface for him to use his flowing stride, the unexposed four-year-old should be capable of leaving his previous poor efforts behind him and make some sort of impact.

There’s a decent chance that Speedo Boy could turn out to be well handicapped on his return to the winter game, but at the same time, he hasn’t been missed in the market and the safest option is to stick with the more solid recent hurdles form shown by POINT OF PRINCIPLE (best price 10-1) and CHRISTMAS IN APRIL (best price 8-1). The Silver Trophy at Chepstow has always proved to be a rich source of winners during the season and this year’s renewal is turning out to be no different with both Whatmore and Le Patriot franking the form since. Runner-up in that well-run affair at the Welsh track, the former may have won but for a couple of notable and untimely errors at the last two flights and having gone well before on his only other outing at today’s track, everything looks set fair for Tim Vaughan’s charge to go well under ideal conditions.

The latter also ran a praiseworthy race on his seasonal comeback over today’s C&D and given that effort was off the back of a 167-day break and first run for a new yard, it’s not unreasonable to expect Colin Tizzzard’s six-year-old to come forward for that initial outing. Indeed, the way he stayed on powerfully up the hill to claim third late on strongly suggests he will be more streetwise next time and hailing from a yard in terrific form of late, the son of Crillon should be heavily involved in the thick end of the action.