Andy Holding's Tuesday Racing Tips

Quite of a few of today’s line-up have solid course form so sorting the wheat from the chaff won’t be easy, but both EARLOFTHECOTSWOLDS (best price 5-1) and TWOTWOTHREE (best price 11-1) have done more than enough on their visits to the Lincolnshire track to warrant an interest at their respective morning odds.

The former got off the mark by winning a bumper over today’s course back in September and ran a blinder in a hot contest at Cheltenham next time, so it was understandable that Nigel Twiston-Davies’ gelding was a warm order to make a winning hurdling debut when he shipped up here a month later. Unfortunately, a catalogue of errors – mainly ponderous leaps – proved to be his downfall on the day and despite showing terrific tenacity in his bid to rescue the damage on the flat, he ended up having to play second fiddle to one of today’s opponents, Seemingly So. Despite being slow again at several of the flights on his next outing at Carlisle, the Axxos gelding somehow managed to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat at the Cumbrian track and that performance once again highlighted his never-say-die attitude. Pitched into a hot handicap at Wincanton last time out, he actually jumped a good deal better by his standards and even though he could only finish fifth behind the useful Tedham, that effort is arguably one of the best pieces of form heading into this slightly weaker contest. Therefore, if his jumping holds up well enough, the gutsy five-year-old has the qualities to make his presence felt.

The latter was strongly-fancied on his most recent outing over today’s course and although the formbook says he has a bit to find with the winner that day, Minella Fiveo, there’s a line of thinking to suggest he has a decent chance of turning the tables on his old rival. In a race that got fragmented at halfway, Oliver Greenall’s gelding found himself at the back of the second group that got detached from the front trio going down the back straight and although he tried valiantly to retrieve the situation in the latter stages (finished miles ahead of the other three that chased the peloton), that vital track position he gave away ended up being a bridge too far. Hopefully today, the race will pan out in a more favourable fashion for the son of Shantou as he certainly showed 19 days ago, that he has enough ability to take advantage of his current mark of 104.

Several of these appear to be fairly exposed, but that can’t be said about OSCAR CEREMONY (NAP) (best price 13-2) and he rates one of the most appealing propositions on handicap debut. Clearly a late developer, the eight-year-old made his belated debut in a useful novice event at Chepstow back in November and he certainly showed enough that day to suggest he could make up for lost time. Pitched into an even hotter race at Warwick next time, Charlie Mann’s gelding just lacked the basic speed of the likes of Birchdale and Co around a relatively sharp track and so it seemed a wise move for connections to send him up in trip last time out at Uttoxeter. Once again, outpaced as the tempo increased coming out of the back straight, the son of Oscar impressed by the way he stuck to his task valiantly in the closing stages to finish a never-nearer third and with the time figure of the race suggesting it was a pretty useful one of its kind, it fair to say he’s getting better with each race. Having proven he has the stomach for a test on heavy ground, today’s conditions, likely to be at their worst come close of play, should suit, and given that there could be even more improvement to come, a mark of 112 doesn’t appear to be too severe in context to what he’s already achieved.