Andy Holding's Friday Racing Tips

AL SHAHIR (best price 5-1) shaped better than the bare result suggested on his debut over fences at Carlisle and with the form of that race at the Cumbrian track having worked out a treat since, Dan Skelton’s gelding is fancied to go well off a mark of 123. A smart bumper/hurdler, winning twice and finishing second three times, the son of Robin Des Champs was strongly fancied to make a winning start to his chasing career and although that didn’t materialise, he was by no means disgraced in a race run at a searching gallop. As the winner, Count Meribel, has gone on to score at Cheltenham next time out, anything that ran with a modicum of promise and finished within hailing distance has to be a heavily considered next time out and as today’s race appears similar in terms of class, he rates a decent bet at the morning prices.

THE WOLF (best price 12-1) shaped really nicely in a smart bumper at Chepstow on debut and providing he takes to hurdles at the first time out asking, he has enough ability on the evidence of that first run to totally outrun his morning odds. Held up towards the rear at the Welsh venue, the son of Kapgarde made steady headway to latch himself on to the leading pack turning for home and although he couldn’t quite make up any more ground on the winner, Silver Forever, from there on in, he still kept plugging away gamely all the way to the line to finish a creditable third. Looking at the overall time and final circuit comparisons to the novice hurdle won by Kateson, and it reveals the bumper was significantly in all areas, so based on those findings, Warren Greatrex’s inmate should be capable of being competitive if he can jump ten flights of hurdles accurately.

BOND ANGEL (best price 11-2) was bound to get a clip behind the ears from the assessor after bolting up by eight wickets here last time out, but given the speed figure she punched out, it could have been a whole lot worse and she’s fancied to give the number crunchers even more pain. A nine-race maiden heading into her most recent assignment, the daughter of Monsieur Bond immediately took the Fibresand surface and after travelling well for the first half of the 7f journey, she really opened up and put daylight between herself and her toiling rivals down the straight. On a day when there were quite a few notable efforts, it was interesting to find that David Evans’ filly clocked the fastest furlong-per-furlong time on the card and if you compare her overall effort on the numbers to the maiden over the same trip which contained 70-rated performers, it’s clear that she ran miles better than her at-the-time perch of 46. Up in trip which should suit on pedigree, previous performances and the way she stayed on here 15 days ago, the three-ye

Despite getting beat the thick end of 20 lengths on chasing debut at Market Rasen, MON PALOIS (best price 11-4) still came out favourable on the speed figures, and with the anticipation of more to come from Kim Bailey’s gelding, there’s every chance he can post his fourth career victory.

In a race run at a blistering gallop throughout where there wasn’t any let up in tempo at any stage at the Lincolnshire track, the son of Muhaymin’s technique and appetite for his new discipline was tested to the max and having come through that initial examination with flying colours, it’s now onwards and upwards for the future. Moreover, all his three previous wins have taken place on, flat, left-handed tracks and hailing from a stable going through a purple patch at present, the five-year-old should be able to make his class tell.

Some potentially nice types face the starter in this concluding bumper, but CHAMPAGNE WELL (best price 7-2) sets a reasonable standard courtesy of his promising effort in a similar contest at Chepstow on his rules debut and with that all-important run under his belt, he should have enough knowledge to make his presence felt. Although left behind slightly as the pace increased in the latter stages at the Welsh track, Fergal O’Brien’s inmate had gone well for three-quarters of the journey and being a former point to point winner, today’s test around this big galloping course should see him in a better light.

Well-run bumpers are as rare as hen’s teeth, but that was not the case for the race that ARION SKY (best price 5-2) was involved in on debut at Ayr and she’s taken to put that valuable grounding to good use second time around. The lesser-fancied of the two Gordon Elliot runners at the Scottish venue, the four-year-old filly was noted travelling well behind the speed for most of the journey and although she couldn’t quite get on terms with the front two inside the final furlong, she kept on willingly all the way to the line. Hopefully, her tendency to hang to the left was down to greenness, and if so, she should be capable of capturing a race of this nature based on that opening effort.

FOOTSTEPS AT DAWN (NAP) (best price 5-1) hit the ball out of the park on the figures over tonight’s C&D last time and despite the handicapper trying to take revenge, there’s more than a fair chance that Shane Nolan’s filly will have the last laugh. Held up towards the rear in the early exchanges nine days ago, the daughter of Footstepsinthesand still had plenty of work on turning for home, but in finding a nice turn of foot down the home straight, she readily picked off her twelve rivals to score with plenty in hand. Not only visually impressive, the three-year-old filly posted virtually identical numbers to those clocked by the 95-rated Yuften over the same C&D half-an-hour earlier, so despite stall 12 being far from an ideal draw, hopefully she’ll have enough in hand to overcome that slight negative and prove once again what a well handicapped filly she is at present.

Joseph O’Brien sends a strong team to post here with the in-form filly Too Precious and Perfect Papitino likely to take a hand in proceedings, but at the same time, bookmakers have rather turned their noses up at SCHOOLBOY ERROR (best price 16-1) for some strange reason and that decision may backfire on the layers if he runs anywhere near the level he’s been performing of late. The key to Shane Nolan’s inmate is a strong pace and with the site of Commander One in the line-up, he should get his ideal requirements. Indeed, on the two occasions when the fractions have been honest from the start, he’s ended up posting career-high performances and even though the weights and measures bores will be keen to point out that he’s a few pounds wrong, he’s always left the impression that he’s better being a small fish in a big pond.