Andy Holding's Friday Racing Tips

MIGRATION (best price 7-1) caught the eye running extremely well against the track bias at Newbury on his seasonal bow and despite the draw not being the kindest here today, he’s still expected to put up a bold show off what appears a workable mark on handicap debut.

Promising on both starts as a two-year-old, the son of Alhebayeb wasn’t particularly fancied at the Berkshire venue off the back of a 192-day break, but in finishing a never-nearer second to the well-touted Fox Chairman, he belied his position in the market in a big way. Moreover, as the winner – and so many others at that two-day fixture – raced towards the favoured far side of the track, his performance to get within four lengths of what could end up being a possible pattern-race horse in time has to go down a massive effort first time off the shelf. On the evidence of that display, an opening assessment of 82 could have been a lot worse and providing he can be smuggled into the race from his outside post, David Menuisier’s colt should be capable of a bold bid. Whatever his fate today, he’s one to keep on side in the imminent future.

TECHNICIAN (best price 5-1) ran out quite an impressive winner of a fair novice event on his seasonal comeback and he’s fancied to give hot favourite Bangkok something to think about in this much sterner examination.

As we know, the maiden won by Bangkok at Doncaster was pretty smart with the runner-up, Telecaster, already going on to advertise the form, but the race that Martyn Meade’s colt landed at Leicester wasn’t too shabby either and he also stood out as being a potential class act. The way he kept working through the gears and striding out inside the final half a mile at the Midland track was really taking and with today’s stiff and long drag from four out likely to be right up his street, the grey son of Mastercraftsman appeals as the value alternative to the jolly.

Things didn’t pan out for KINKS (best price 12-1) on his seasonal return at Pontefract 17 days ago, but at the same time, he did enough to warrant a degree of faith is needed to be kept with Mick Channon’s gelding.

Well-backed to return to winnings ways at the Yorkshire venue, the three-year-old gave himself little hope of collecting after totally blowing the start, but it was encouraging at the very least to see him finish off his race with a degree of purpose and that’s one of the reasons for giving him the benefit of the doubt on this recovery bid.

SHARJA BRIDGE (NAP) (best price 7-4) kicked off his campaign in the best possible fashion and Roger Varian’s gelding now bids to take his game to another level in this decent-looking Group 2 prize. A big improver last season, the son of picked up where he left off at Ascot with a performance of total authority on Town Moor and on the evidence of the numbers he posted that day, today’s contest looks the natural progression for this upwardly-mobile miler. Having run well on his only previous visit to today’s track, the son of Oasis Dream ticks that particular box too, and with all ground conditions seemingly coming alike, he should be able to cope with whatever mother nature decides to throw at the runners at the Esher track.

CARNWENNAN (best price 7-2) was unlucky not to end last season in the best possible fashion, but he remains a young stayer worth keeping on side and this appears a decent starting point for Charlie Fellows’ inmate.

Improving as the season progressed last term, the son of Cacique managed to break his maiden tag in a red-hot handicap at Nottingham towards the backend of the campaign and he was then sent to Kempton in a bid to seek further success. Unfortunately, the way the race panned out at the Surrey venue did him no favours, but he still ran with great credit and with connections eying up some bigger prizes for their charge later in the season, he needs to be getting a shift on early if he’s to reach some of those lofty heights further down the line.

LEGAL EYES (best price 4-1) has shaped as though handicaps and a step up in trip might be the making of him and he’s fancied to justify those thoughts off what looks a reasonable starting point in this sphere.

Although only fifth in a novice event at Newbury last time out, he kept on well enough in a what turned out to be a strongly-run affair to warrant interest further down the line and it’s not as if today’s contest is crammed full of potentially well-treated individuals. Prior to that useful effort, Ben Pauling’s gelding had caught the eye with excellent effort first time off the bat against the classy Beakstown in an above-average contest at Uttoxeter on hurdling debut and with the fifth horse home that day, Young Wolf, going on to land a handicap recently off a mark of 122, as you can see today’s rating has to be deemed as being potentially on the lenient side if the improvement is forthcoming.