Andy Holding's Saturday Racing Tips

ROSE OF KILDARE (best price 7-2) appears to be going in the right direction and she can make a late claim towards a trip to Royal Ascot if coming through today’s test with flying colours.

Promising on her first two starts, Mark Johnston’s filly finally came good on the third attempt when scoring with a bit to spare at Redcar and she was heavily supported to repeat the dose at Hamilton. After missing the break and unable to adopt her previous front-running role, she looked to be in a spot of bother as one of her main market rivals skipped clear at a vital stage, but once she managed to extricate herself from the pocket, she quickened up in the style of a very useful juvenile to rest the spoils close home. The way she hit the line strongly indicated she gets a well-run stiff five-furlongs well and having run up to a fair level the two times she’s encountered ease underfoot, any rain in the area shouldn’t prove too troublesome for the daughter of Make Believe.

Time may tell DARK VADAR (best price 9-1) faced an impossible task up against the potential top-class Arizona in a very hot maiden at the Curragh first time out, but he should have learnt enough that day to be a good deal sharper in all departments and he rates a fairly solid each-way alternative to the hot favourite.

Not particularly well fancied at the Co Kildare venue, Joseph O’Brien’s colt shaped a good bit better than expectations and even though he got beat a fair way in the end, he showed up well until getting a bit tired and outclassed by a two-year-old for which the sky’s the limit. Moreover, the time figure of that heat 13 days suggests we are dealing with top-class juvenile form and providing he can handle today’s softer underfoot conditions, the Dark Angel colt should be a little more competitive on his second start.

As predicted, the ground conditions here last night were pretty testing, but that shouldn’t bother SAFE VOYAGE (NAP) (best price 2-1) one jot and he’s fancied to keep his unbeaten track record in tact. Having previously shown a distinct liking to the Merseyside venue, John Quinn’s gelding made it 3-3 over the C&D 28 days ago and with everything about that performance suggesting he’s still on the improve, he’s not one worth opposing readily. Despite being caught slightly flat-footed two out, the son of Fast Company got himself out of jail with a fine turn of foot close home and having previously shown a liking to soft ground the time before, everything looks set fair for another positive display.

WAR GLORY (best price 15-2) found things happening all a bit quickly for him over a sharp seven furlongs at Epsom last time out, but he still ran well enough to warrant an interest back over his optimum trip here this afternoon. Going into that contest at the Surrey track in fine heart, Richard Hannon’s inmate took a while to hit top stride coming down the hill and even though he couldn’t quite reel in the leaders, he may have gone closer than the bare result suggests had he obtained a clear run late on. Better suited by a mile, the son of Canford Cliffs also has a fine record around today’s course and providing he can hit the gates and hold his favourable position next to the inside fence, there’s every chance he’ll be competitive when the medals are being dished out.

AND THE NEW (best price 7-2), better known for his exploits over hurdles, caught the eye by the way he finished off his race here last time out and he makes plenty of appeal now he faces more realistic opposition on handicap debut.

Winner of a decent soft-ground novice hurdle at Doncaster back in January 2018, Johnny Farrellly’s eight-year-old had rather lost his way in the intervening period until showing something like his old sparkle in a well-run affair at Exeter in March. Switching his attentions to his new discipline, the Kalanisi gelding unsurprisingly made little impact in his first two outings (second of them over a mile) but his latest offering gave out plenty of hope for the future. Coming from some way back to finish a never-nearer fourth over tonight’s C&D, he made the sort of noises to suggest the assessor may have underestimated his try worth off an opening mark of 65 and when you compare that sort of rating to his hurdling perch of 132, it doesn’t take a genius to work out that he has every chance of being competitive at this level.