Andy Holding has three tips, including a 2pt NAP at Hereford.
14.30 Hereford
ZANZI WIN (NAP) (best price 5-4) has done more than enough in his starts to date to suggest he’s well capable of capturing a race of this nature and with his main market rival, Tiffin Top, not really impressing in his two outings, Harry Whittington’s gelding will hopefully make no mistakes.
Although behind Alan King’s inmate on his debut at Taunton, the son of Zanzibar has improved significantly since and his latest effort when runner-up to the useful and well-backed Arch My Boy at Fakenham pressed home the opinion that he’s very much going in the right direction.
Moreover, the speed figure he achieved in defeat at the Norfolk-based venue also pointed towards it being a useful effort by the four-year-old (Swaffham Bulbeck won since), and with the likelihood of forceful tactics being in operation once again, there’s every chance he will have most of his rivals in trouble a long way from home.
15.40 Hexham
The end product from STONEY ROVER (best price 8-1) wasn’t that clever at Ayr last time out, but it was noticeable that he travelled up well for a large proportion of the 2m4f journey (may have need run after a 55-day layoff) and now returning to the scene of two of his better performances on the numbers, Katie Scott’s inmate is worth a small interest to see whether the Northumberland air can help him return to winning ways.
Looking back at his sole victory over the C&D back in November, the fact that he managed to outstay the hot favourite Hill Sixteen in the latter stages suggests he has got enough quality to justify his current rating of 120 and with similar conditions likely to be the order of the day, the six-year-old gelding looks the value each-way call at the morning odds.
16.30 Hereford
With doubts about most of the market principals, a race not to go too overboard about, but TALKTOMENOW (best price 15-8) has the one standout piece of form to suggest he’s worth another try. Runner-up to useful Getaway Trump at Plumpton, it seemed a formality that Warren Greatrex’s gelding would have no trouble going one place better at some stage this season, but following a modest run at Warwick next time out, he once again fell someway short of the mark at Wincanton on his latest outing.
Whether it’s a physical, mechanical or mental thing only time will tell, but it’s noticeable that the first-time cheekpieces have been applied this afternoon and they may just help the son of Shirocco focus the mind.
