Andy Holding's Wednesday Racing Tips

It must be slightly irritating for connections of ELVIS MAIL (best price 5-1) having to face Irish raider Galvin in his bid for a five-timer on-route to a possible tilt at the Cheltenham Festival, but either way, Nick Alexander’s gelding has enough quality to hold his own against his more illustrious rival.

The son of Great Pretender contributed to his own downfall first time out this season when he pulled too hard in the early stages of a useful novice hurdle and, as a result, he didn’t quite get home on the heavy ground. More amenable to restraint at Kelso last time out, the five-year-old grey this time had plenty left in the tank for the business end of the race and he powered well clear of his rivals in the closing stages. Indeed, his winning time and in particular his final circuit sectionals indicate he was trapping along at a fair old rate of knots and considering he was achieving these numbers without being vigorously ridden, it says plenty of his natural ability. Pulled out of the recent engagement due to unsuitable ground, today’s conditions should be ideal for this scopey chasing type and it would be disappointing if he couldn’t give the hot favourite a decent race at the very least.

OUTOFTHISWORLD (best price 11-4) seemed to suffer from being bogged down on the very soft winter ground at Fontwell last time out and she’s fancied to bounce back on today’s much more favourable surface. Unseating her rider on her hurdling debut at Market Rasen, Harry Fry’s mare made no mistake on her second start when returning to the Lincolnshire track and her defeat that day of the very useful Annie Mac, looks even better now given what the runner-up has gone on to achieve subsequently (won by 18 lengths at Chepstow). Although she looked in control for long periods on her latest outing 57 days ago, she eventually succumbed to Midnightreferendum, who was better equipped to cope with the testing surface that day, but having proven that good ground on a flat, right-handed are her optimum conditions, the daughter of Shantou has the ideal platform to get back on track.

NOBLE EXPRESSION (NAP) (best price 6-4) was a revelation in the first-time cheekpieces over tonight’s C&D last time out, so it’s just a simply case of whether he can run to the same level on his return visit eight days on. Off the back of a sound gallop set by Enanak at the Dunstall Park track, Jim Boyle’s gelding picked up the running when the front runner fainted three out and from that point onwards, he maintained the relentless pace all the way top the line. In clocking a very fast time figure, the son of Sir Percy easily posted his best set of numbers in his career and with the only unknown quantity being what sort of shape True Destiny is in after his wind op, hopefully the four-year-old will hold all the aces.