Andy Holding's Wednesday Racing Tips

The two-year-old race won by Exclusively at Redcar recently was one of the best of its kind so far this season and having shaped well to finish a creditable fourth on debut, LEAVE EM ALONE (NAP) (best price 6-1) is fancied to build on that initial effort and be even more competitive this time around.

In a very strongly-run race from the start at the Yorkshire venue, David Evans’ filly got left behind in the rush after two furlongs, but picking up nicely in the closing she ran through the line takingly to finish just over five lengths behind the impressive winner. Given that the time figure was very good and the winner has aspirations of being a Royal Ascot filly, it was a decent effort by the daughter of War Command first time off the bat and with the potential of more to come, especially over today’s stiffer track, she makes plenty of each-way appeal at her morning odds.

Hopefully Leave Them Alone will go well in division one of this two-year-old novice stakes and if so, confidence will grow that LILI WEN FACH (best price 7-1) can play some sort of role in the outcome to her heat.

Diving out to her left courtesy of having a wide-open space ahead of her as she exited the stalls from gate one, the daughter of Gregorian was already behind the eight-ball by haflway, but to her eternal credit she managed to work herself back into the picture by close of play. Staying on nicely to finish a never-nearer sixth in what should turn out to be a productive race for the future, David Evans’ filly should know enough this time to better her first-time-out finishing position.

LUNGARNO PALACE (best price 12-1) ultimately proved disappointing when last seen at Sandown, but today’s quicker surface should turn out to be much more suitable for Fergal O’Brien’s gelding and he’s taken to outrun his odds racing over a track where he’s gone well in recent times.

As it turned out, 2m7f in extremely testing conditions at Sandown two months ago proved a bridge too far for the son of Henrythenavigator, but prior to that modest display, he had run creditably in several useful and competitive handicap hurdles. Indeed, his best two efforts were gained over today’s course back in October and November respectively and a repeat of either performance should see the eight-year-old fairly competitive on ground that will suit.

Quite a bit of water has gone under the bridge since SIR IVAN (best price 16-1) finished runner-up in this race back in 2016 but there were encouraging signs to be gleaned from his effort at Exeter to suggest he has some sort of chance of going one place better three years on. More than a shade frustrating in the intervening period, Harry Fry’s inmate had seemingly lost his way over fences to a level where connections decided to pull the plug for the time being and send him back over hurdles in order to salvage some of his lost confidence. Much more at home on his return to the smaller obstacles at the West Country venue, the son of Midnight Legend pushed track specialist Trans Express all the way to the line and with the time figure suggesting it was a fair race for the grade, the performance has to go down as one of great credit. Back up to a more suitable trip this afternoon, the nine-year-old is quite likely to figure prominently if in the same sort of form.

The other one of interest at the prices here is TOBEFAIR (best price 9-1) as today’s stiff track clearly plays into his strengths. Only undone by the whirlwind finish of Barry Geraghty on the gambled-on Sire Du Berlais in the Pertemps Final here last month, that solid performance was off the back of another sound effort when filling out the same spot in a well-run qualifier at Chepstow. Although those two performances came on softish ground, Debra Hamer’s gelding has plenty of form on a quicker terrain and another solid show looks on the cards.

Where COMPTON’S FINALE (best price 11-1) would have finished with a clear run at Navan last time out is anyone’s guess, but it’s not the wildest suggestion in the world to estimate he would have played a significant part in the finish and that notion makes him an interesting contender in this contest.

Held up towards the rear at the Co Meath venue, Adrian Keatley’s inmate was noted travelling well at halfway and it was from that point onwards when things began to go wrong. Getting no room when desperate for a run inside the final two furlongs, his jockey gave up the ghost once he’d resigned to the unequal struggle and in the end, the three-year-old was eased right down to only beat one home. Clearly much better than that finishing position indicates, the son of Compton Place gets a chance to put matters straight over a track where he finished a creditable second over the C&D back in October.