Andy Holding's Thursday Racing Tips

It’s not often the transference from dirt to grass becomes an instant hit, but GOLDEN JAGUAR (best price 5-2) managed to achieve that feat with a bit to spare and he makes plenty of appeal to come out on top with his expected dual with locally-trained Good Fortune. 

Impressive over five-furlongs at Jebel Ali on his first outing in the desert early last month, the son of Animal Kingdom was surprisingly switched to race over tonight’s C&D three weeks later, and despite being raised an extra two furlongs and having the worst of the draw (stall 15 of 15), he overcame all of those barriers to score in the style of an extremely progressive colt. Dropped out the back by design, the three-year-old still had plenty on his plate as the field turned for home, but in a big sweeping manoeuvre approaching the two-furlong pole, he charged past virtually the entire field in a very short pace of time with a devastating turn of foot.

Clocking 35.6 for the last three-furlongs (Good Fortune posted 36.4 when he won over the same C&D), Ali Bin Harmash’s inmate clearly has a cracking change of pace when required and providing he’s within striking distance of the leaders turning for home and he gets enough room to get into top gear, it will take a useful effort by one of his rivals to lower his colours.

It’s always worth noting when the backend sectional times of a three-mile race are considerably quicker than one over two miles on the same card, and with BALLYNANTY’s (NAP) (best price 11-8) race being a case in point here 52 days ago, it makes sense to stay loyal to Nick Alexander’s grey in his repeat bid.
Previously a frustrating type and winless after seven starts, the son of Yeats turned out to be a totally different proposition when upped to three miles for the first time and after travelling well in behind the solid fractions throughout, he readily pulled clear in the closing stages.

Looking at his numbers for that last lap, and they reveal he ran three seconds faster than the 2m handicap winner, Wot A Shot, and considering he managed to achieve this feat despite jumping to the left on several occasions (jumped perfectly straight when he was in amongst horses) and getting hampered halfway down the back straight, his performance deserves even more merit. With Buckled having made all the running to victory in the past and Always Lion a fairly keen sort, today’s contest should be run at a sound clip and with the seven-year-old likely to be held up in the rear stalking the pace, expect him to pounce and do his rivals for a turn of foot late on.

UHLAN BUTE (best price 11-4) has heavily involved in what turned out to be a proper burn up with Kilfilum Cross here last week, and although he ended coming out on the wrong side of the argument, he posted the sort of numbers which suggests he’ll be very difficult to beat if anywhere near the same form on his return visit to the Shropshire track.

A smooth winner when making all at Plumpton in January, Venetia Williams’ gelding was clearly intent on bossing his eight rivals over the C&D a week ago and if it wasn’t for the extremely well-backed winner who clearly had a bit up his sleeve handicap-wise, he would have recorded another notable success. Moreover, the front pair that day posted final circuit sectionals 4.7 quicker than the useful novice Azzerti and 4.3 better than the 2m handicap chase scorer Quantum Of Solace and then if take into account the very fast overall figure they produced, and it reveals the race in question was extremely good for the grade.

Prior to that valiant effort, the 11-year-old had also run with credit in an above-average handicap again racing right-handed at Taunton, and hailing from a yard that sent out four winners at FFos Las on Monday, the son of Brier Creek looks set to shine at a track that clearly plays into his strengths.