Andy Holding's Thursday Racing Tips

DUSTIN DES MOTTES (NAP) (best price 15-8) ran with great credit in a miles more competitive race than the one he faces this afternoon and Dr Newland’s gelding is strongly fancied to take advantage of the massive drop in class.

Sent off only a 9-1 shot in a keenly-contested affair at the Berkshire venue, the son of Kapgarde could never land a blow at the main players in the final half a mile, but it was noticeable that he never gave up the ghost and he kept plugging away to finish just behind the likes of Gala Ball and Valdez, who went on to boost the form when they returned to the same track last weekend. Although he drops back half a mile here this afternoon, it’s worth pointing out that he would have probably won over the minimum trip at Ascot earlier in the campaign had he not jumping violently out to his left at the last two fences and with one of his main market rivals, A Little Magic, likely to ensure there’s no hanging around, hopefully the six-year-old’s stamina can come into play late in the piece.

Coolagh Magic has to be considered slightly unfortunate not to complete the hat trick here last time out and looks sure to go well, but whether he can cope with top weight EL HOMBRE (best price 3-1) is another matter.

Developing into a real course specialist, Keith Dalgleish’s gelding arrives here off the back of another smart effort at the Dunstall Park venue and a repeat of the same level of form will surely see him a big player on his return visit. Dropped out from his wide draw, the son of Camacho was a detatched last as the field swept into the home straight but in producing a power-packed finish inside the final two furlongs, he ran on strongly to grab fourth on the line. Looking at his sectionals that day, he posted 45.7 and 22.6 for the last four and two furlongs respectively and when you compare those splits to Coolagh Magic’s latest numbers of 47.3 and 23.0 and you can see the five-year-old was operating at a different level. Obviously there’s a big weight difference between the pair which should bring them close together but at the same time, a better draw and his slight class edge may hopefully gain the day.

The time figure posted by the hugely talented McFabulous in the concluding bumper at Newbury on March 2 suggested it was a fair race of its kind and having shaped with plenty of promise for the future back in fourth, THE SWAGMAN (best price 7-2) is taken to build on that initial performance and put his valuable experience to good use.

Not particularly fancied at the Berkshire track – hence the 25-1 started price – Seamus Durack’s gelding, however, went through the contest like a better horse than his odds implied and running down to the final furlong of the two-mile journey, it momentarily looked like he was capable of pulling off a huge shock. Unfortunately, the son of Galileo couldn’t quite kick again once the winner found an extra gear, but not for one second did he shirk the issue and in was only in the shadows of the post that he was run out of the places. Likely to be a good deal more streetwise this time around, it will be a disappointment if the five-year-old chestnut doesn’t make his presence felt despite being up against several well-regarded types.