Andy Holding's Wednesday Racing Tips

A tightly-knit affair between all four, but CAPTAIN MORIETTE (NAP) (best price 5-2) probably has the most scope for progress going forward and he’s fancied to build on his convincing display at Catterick last time out. 

In a race run at a sound clip at the Yorkshire track thanks to the exploits of the keen-going Young Wolf, Sue Smith’s gelding had no trouble lying up handy just in behind the speed and once the front runners began to wilt in the closing stages, he stayed on strongly to score with quite a bit in hand.

Although there’s only a small field today, both Chambard and Black Key have made the running in the past, so there’s likely to be a decent pace, and that should ensure the rangy grey son of Kap Rock has every chance of running to the same standard he achieved 26 days ago. 

ECEPARTI (best price 7-4) ran to a fair level on his handicap debut at Stratford last week and he’s taken to build on that promising effort and gain his just rewards in this slightly weaker-looking affair. In a strongly-run contest at the Midland venue, Venetia Williams’ gelding travelled with plenty of panache throughout and having hit the front looking like he was going to collect on the run down to the last, it was disappointing for all concerned that he got worried out of the argument on the run-in. #

That said, the time figure the front two produced points towards the son of Enrique being particularly well treated off his current mark of 112 and with connections bringing out their charge quickly in order to take advantage of his wellbeing, the five-year-old has the qualities to justify their boldness.

TEGEREK (best price 13-2) has just been bubbling under the surface so far this season, but he’s often left the impression there’s a decent race in him somewhere and today might just be the day when he finally delivers the goods. 

A winner on the Flat in his native France, Jonjo O’Neill’s gelding has shaped with a huge amount of encouragement on more than one occasion since switching codes and his latest effort at Newbury was another indication of his qualities. Dropped out the back at the Berkshire track, the son of Mount Nelson again raced with plenty of zest but having gone with the choke out for the thick end of a mile and a half, he unsurprisingly didn’t have much left in the tank when push came to shove after the last.

Upped in trip for the first time this afternoon, his promising conditional pilot will be at pains to try and get his mount to settle in the early stages and providing he can achieve that feat, the lightly-raced five-year-old has a decent chance of being competitive at the business end.