Andy Holding's Friday Racing Tips

MILLIE THE MINX (NAP) (best price 13-8) looked like a filly some way ahead of her mark when scoring over today’s C&D last time out, and despite there being a slight concern about the softer ground, she might have enough in hand to offset that negative.

Always moving well behind the sound pace set by front-running Ninepointsixthree, Dianne Sayer’s four-year-old readily picked up the baton when the leader gave way on the run down to the last and despite idling and pricking her ears close home, she ran out an extremely comfortable winner. Moreover, her overall time figure and final lap sectionals indicated she was trapping along at a deceptively strong pace for the grade (4.8 seconds quicker than the 2m handicap won by the 105-rated Canny Style) and with only a mandatory penalty to overcome, the daughter of Medicean just needs to turn up here in the same shape a week on to put the wind up the opposition again.

A cracking novice hurdle in prospect and its one that REMASTERED (best price 6-4) should have the sort of skills in order for him to come out of top. Winner of a bumper on his final start last year (beating subsequent dual hurdle scorer Kateson), David Pipe’s inmate made the perfect start to his life over hurdles with smooth success at Ffos Las and with some big-names scalps well beaten in behind him that day, connections went away from the Welsh venue dreaming of bigger and better things to come. Time-wise, that side of the performance didn’t disappoint either, and with his ability to lay up and stay on strong off a sound gallop assured, today’s likely stiff test will suit the son of Network better than most.

A good deal depends on how Millie The Minx gets on in the first race where NINEPOINTSIXTHREE (best price 8-1) is concerned, but proving the first selection comes through her race with flying colours, then Sam England’s gelding ought to be going close as well. Responsible for a cracking overall speed figure for the grade when runner-up here 10 days ago, the eight-year-old has clearly got a decent engine and with many of his better old performances coming when the ground was on the testing side, he can set this field a merry dance from the outset.

The form of GLEN ROCCO’s (best price 6-1) novice handicap chase win at Fontwell has already been advertised by the runner-up, Diplomate Sivola, and despite the assessor trying his best to seek retribution for that sound effort 19 days ago, Nick Gifford’s gelding is still unquestionably the one to be with in this competitive contest.

Unseating rider at the first on chase debut at Chepstow was a bit of a blow for connections of the son of Shirocco, but he soon made up for that untimely error with a game display at the Sussex venue 11 days later. In fending off his only real threat in the final half a mile, the seven-year-old posted a very smart time for the grade and track, and hailing from a yard that has made a terrific start to the campaign, he’s strongly fancied to keep up the good work for the Findon handler.

DOWN THE HIGHWAY (best price 5-2) couldn’t have been any more impressive on his hurdling debut at Lingfield and having proven that running at a fast pace on soft ground is well within his range, he has the composite requirements for today’s test.

Up against the Champion Bumper eighth, Mercy Mercy Me (sent off 8-13 favourite), the five-year-old gelding was always moving comfortably against his more illustrious market rival and once given his head on the run down to the last, he readily pulling clear of his toiling victims. Indeed, despite the son of Duke Of Marmalade being eased down in the closing stages, he still managed to run a faster circuit time than the 2m handicap hurdle winner Forecast to the tune of four seconds, and with the potential of even more to come from this big, scopey chasing type, it would have to go down as a disappointment if he wasn’t hugely competitive despite taking some similarly progressive novices.

THE TWO AMIGOS (best price 3-1) was clearly up against a formidable opponent in the shape of Some Chaos (ran a blinder in a hot race at Wincanton yesterday) at Market Rasen last time out, but with the pair well clear of the rest and the time figure exceptionally good for the grade, Nicky Martin’s gelding is afforded another chance to justify the opinion that he’s still an extremely well-handicapped staying chaser. A multiple winner in the point-to-point field last season, often running his opponents into the ground from the front, the son of Midnight Legend wasted no time inflicting similar damage to the professional ranks at Newton Abbot back in October and his 53 length victory that day was unsurprisingly met with a major hike in the ratings. Well-backed to defy his new mark at the Lincolnshire venue 29 days ago, the lightly-raced six-year-old tried to execute his usual demolition job on his rivals only to find the combination of a similarly well-treated rival and faster ground catching him out. However, he still came out of the race with great credit and now back on his more-favoured testing surface and over a trip that will test even the most stamina-laden of the competitors, he’s strongly fancied to drag the field through the pain barrier right from the start.

Garrane looks the obvious threat based on recent form, but its noticeable that his two worst runs have come over today’s track, so he has to be considered a risk at a relatively short price.

PAMPUSHKA (best price 5-1) shaped with plenty of encouragement on her debut over tonight’s course two weeks ago and with a pedigree to suggest she should come into her own over middle-distances, she’s fancied to go close in a maiden where obvious contenders are extremely thin on the ground.

Significantly well backed to make a winning debut over a mile, the daughter of So You Think unfortunately just missed a beat coming out on the stalls and that tardy start immediately put her on the back foot. Running on nicely all the way down the straight, the three-year-old filly made up the sort of ground to suggest she would have gone close to justifying the gamble with a level break and providing she hits the lids better at the second time of asking, she should turn out to be extremely competitive over tonight’s extra distance.