Andy Holding's Tuesday Racing Tips

DR DES (NAP) (best price 7-2) has been performing at a decent standard so far this season without getting his head in front, but with the combination of first-time headgear and a drop back in trip seen as two potential positives, Henry Oliver’s gelding might just be able to turn around the tables with Awake At Midnight from a previous encounter. Finishing just behind his old rival over today’s C&D back in December, the son of Double Eclipse has gone on to run in some pretty competitive contests subsequently, none more so than the race he contested at Uttoxeter last time out. In a well-run race right from the start, the eight-year-old was still bang there in contention as the field turned for home but from that point onwards he couldn’t quite go with the main players and he ended up having to settle for a creditable fifth-place finish. Although his best form has come under testing conditions, today’s better ground shouldn’t pose too many problems (has got some sound form on good) and with the opposition this afternoon being a step down to what he’s been facing of late, there’s every hope that he can finally get his head in front over fences.

KINKS (best price 4-1) rather lost his way after a bright start to his career early last season, but with the hope of a recent gelding operation working the trick and hailing from a yard who struck with similar type at Windsor yesterday, Mick Channon’s three-year-old makes plenty of appeal with Silvestre De Sousa booked.

Following a promising beginning on debut at Kempton, two subsequent victories set up early thoughts of a tilt at the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot and although he failed to make the frame at the Berkshire venue, a three-length defeat behind Shang Shang Shang could hardly be described as a wasted bullet. Third in the valuable Super Sprint at Newbury followed but it was from that point onwards that his campaign really began to deteriorate. Four relatively modest efforts ensued but the final nail in his coffin came when he failed to beat a single horse home in Rockingham Stakes at York on his final start to the season. Hopefully those poor efforts will end up being a thing of the past and as today’s contest represents a significant drop down in grade and strength of opposition to what he’s been used to facing, he’s worth a small interest to see whether he can take full advantage.