Andy Holding's Friday Racing Tips

A tricky seven-furlong handicap at first glance, but a delve deeper into the figures of some of the main players on their recent exploits and KASBAH (NAP) (best price 7-1) stands out as the value bet of the race. True, it’s been a long time between drinks for the veteran of 54 races, but he’s shaping as though he’s just coming nicely to the boil and his latest performance was certainly one of his better displays for quite some time.

In what turned out to be a well-run affair 14 days ago, the son of Acclamation only narrowly failed to peg back the positively-ridden Confrontational, who has looked a different horse since fitted with cheekpieces, and as he was the only one of the three that raced up the un-favoured inside of the track to actually make ground down the home straight, his effort deserves upgrading.

Comparing his overall speed figure and closing sectionals to the other seven-furlong winner on the card, Victorious Secret, and Ado McGuiness’ gelding comes out on top, so based on those findings, it makes perfect sense to play him at nearly twice the price of the market leader.

SLEEPY HEAD (best price 7-2) has a pretty compelling set of figures at tonight’s track compared many of her rivals and having hit the crossbar on her last two outings, compensation awaits this consistent six-year-old. The wide draw over the extended 1m2f trip is quite a difficult barrier to overcome at tonight’s track, so to finish a creditable runner-up after being housed in the coffin box 14 days ago, is a performance worth extra merit.

Prior to that fine effort, the daughter of Rip Van Winkle had proven her versatility trip-wise by finishing in the same spot behind the rapidly-improving Shadow Seven over tonight’s C&D back in November and with seemingly nothing remotely near the level of that competition against here this evening, she rates a solid proposition at her top morning price.

The list of excuses for Chaparral Dream are beginning to wear thin, so you would have to be a brave man to take odds around the 6-4 mark about Ado McGuiness’ gelding. TRUMP CARD (best price 9-2), however, seems a much more viable proposition based on his overall profile and as we have the luxury of playing him from an each-way perspective in line with his morning odds, Conor O’Dwyer’s gelding rates the percentage call.

Victorious over the subsequent improver Jake Peter on his final start to the turf Flat season, the son of Lilbourne Lad has run with credit on both outings over tonight’s track during his winter campaign. Not quite seeing out the 2m trip two starts ago, the six-year-old was able to run to an even higher standard when dropped back to his optimum trip in a rated race behind the improving Stronghold two weeks ago and a repeat of that level of form should be good enough for him to hit the frame at the very least.