Andy Holding's Friday Racing Tips

Quite a hot little contest by the track standards and a good deal of focus will be on Pistol Whipped off the back of his fine display in a hot Newbury novice event, but at the same time, ON THE SLOPES (best price 9-2) should in no way be underestimated and at the prices, Jeremy Scott’s gelding rates the value each-way alternative. A game winner of a Fontwell novice hurdle back in December, the time figure he posted that afternoon suggested he was an above-average performer and he was well backed to prove that was the case on his return visit a month later. Up against a potentially top-class youngster in the shape of Greanateen from the Paul Nicholls stable, the son of Librettist made the hot favourite strain every sinew throughout the 2m1f journey and even though he had to concede defeat in the dying strides, he came away from the contest, beaten but unbowed. Whether the five-year-old proves as potent away from the Sussex venue remains to be seen, but either way, he’s shown enough quality up to now to give the favourite all the trouble he can handle.

COPPERHEAD (best price 9-4) knocked out a tremendous set of figures for the grade at Exeter last time out and he’s strongly fancied to prove he still remains a step ahead of the handicapper. Having shown a distinct amount of promise in some useful novice hurdles. Colin Tizzard’s inmate was well-backed to make a successful handicap debut the West Country venue and as it turned out, he gave his backers little cause for concern. Off the back of a sound pace, the son of Sulamani had little trouble travelling strongly and after taking up the running going well approaching two out, he gradually pulled clear without being resorted to a particularly hard time. Up 12lb for that romp 26 days ago, clearly today’s contest will be a tougher assignment, but having proven he has all the right ingredients to cope with a decent test on messy ground, the five-year-old will hopefully be equal to the task.

Danz Gift was desperately unlucky not to follow up his previous win here last time out (fly-leaped coming out of the stalls) and is probably a worthy favourite, but at the same time, he isn’t a straightforward character and at the prices LAPILLI (best price 6-1) is taken as the solid each-way alternative.

A useful 87-rated performer when trained in the UK, the Bahamian Bounty gelding continued to cut a figure of frustration for current connections on many occasions during the turf season, but there were signs of a possible revival since switching to the all-weather surface and that promise was well and truly realised here last time out. Racing in the first-time blinkers, James McAuley’s charge tanked his way through a well-run 6f contest 14 days ago and even though the well-fancied Lily’s Prince pushed him all the way to the line, he always looked as though he had matters in hand. Moreover, the time figure he clocked was extremely good for the grade, so it’s just a simple case of whether he can run to the same level dropping back in trip and hope that the headgear can work for the second time of asking.

A cracking handicap made even more tricky with the UK raider Nick Vedder throwing his cap in the ring, but there’s a decent chance LILY’S PRINCE (best price 12-1) can go well from the foot of the weights based on his effort here two weeks ago. Unlucky the time before over the same C&D, Garvan Donnelly’s gelding was well-backed to make amends, but for the second time in succession, he was cursed by the fickle hands of fate. Noted travelling supremely well in behind a hot pace, the nine-year-old was delivered with a potent challenge at the furlong pole only to find the rejuvenated Lapilli finding an even more impressive turn of foot close home. The fact that the pair pulled miles clear of the rest in a fast time suggested this was one of his better performances for quite some time, so even though tonight’s contest represents a significant rise in quality, at least the son of Strategic Prince arrives in the sort of shape to give it his best shot.

In a short space of time, Joseph O’Brien has become the undisputed king of Dundalk and in the shape of CHESS GRAND MASTER (NAP) (best price 2-1), the Co Kilkenny handler has another cab off the rank seemingly going through the grades at an impressive rate of knots.

Relatively unfancied when scoring on his all-weather debut a month ago, the son of Galileo was much stronger in the market on his return visit here last week, and even though there was an element of doubt whether he’d stay the extra four-furlongs of the 2m trip, he readily quashed that slight negativity with a performance of some quality. Always moving well throughout, the lightly-raced six-year-old impressed by the way he bounded clear of his toiling rivals in the closing stages without being subject to a particularly vigorous ride and despite a slight question mark about him dropping back in distance tonight, the current deep surface at the track lends itself to horse like him with plenty of stamina.