Andy Holding's Tuesday Racing Tips

MERE ANARCHY (best price 20-1) has the kind of head carriage that makes him one to be wary of at a short price, but with the ground being heavy and fitness very much on his side, he becomes a totally different proposition at his huge morning odds.

Without doubt he’s chucked away several races he should have won and that was definitely the case at Worcester two starts ago in the first-time visor. Travelling best going down to the last, Robert Stephens’ gelding almost got rid his pilot after stumbling on landing and although he rallied well enough on the run-in, he was eventually worried out of the argument by the late flourish of Legend Lady. Running as well as could expected against better opposition on his return to the Midland track 10 days ago, the mercurial eight-year-old certainly won’t get beat for a lack of stamina and with his high-cruising speed likely to carry him deep into the business end of the race, it just boils down to whether he consents to pop his nose in front when it matters. Looking at his main rivals, So Near So Farhh seemed to struggle in similar conditions at Carlisle last time out, Age Of Wisdom also has a poor record when the ground has been soft, while General Zoff has yet to race on ground worse than good-to-soft.

GLENDAARS WARRIOR (NAP) (best price 3-1) ran out an emphatic winner at Down Royal when last seen 35 days ago and providing he’s in a similar frame of mind, the seven-year-old gelding is strongly fancied to repeat the dose.

Winless in sixteen previous attempts going into that competitive handicap at the Co Down track, it would have been a brave man to predict the manner of the victory and when you take into account the tremendous speed figure he posted for the grade, it makes the performance even more meritorious. If we needed more evidence of how good the race was, the likes of Oromo, Musical Ava and more recently, Pretty Little Liar, have gone on to endorse the form and even though he now has to race off a career high mark, there’s enough proof to suggest he may be up to defying his new perch.

By the time the runners head to post for this two-mile contest, conditions are likely to be pretty diabolical, so it makes sense to look towards several for whom stamina should be no concern – step forward LE MUSEE (best price 2-1) and CHOCOLATE NOIR (best price 28-1).

The former didn’t run too badly in the Martin Pipe at the Cheltenham Festival and, as a result, he was well-backed to take advantage of what appeared to be a lenient mark of 62 (132 over hurdles) on his Flat handicap debut at Lingfield last time out. However, as is often the case at the Surrey track, the race developed into a sprint down the straight and that patently didn’t suit Nigel Hawke’s gelding who would require a proper gallop over 1m6f on fast ground to be seen anywhere near effective. Having scored over three miles in testing ground at Taunton back in February, today’s examination should prove more to his liking and with the assessor surprisingly giving the son of Galileo an extra 4lb back, he should go close to making the long trip back to his Devon base feel a good deal shorter.

The latter has been in fine heart over hurdles of late and although she isn’t as classy as her main market rival (rated 92 over hurdles), at least she will keep galloping - unlike many of the participants here tonight. A game winner of a competitive handicap on deteriorating ground at Cartmel two starts ago (good-to-soft, soft in places by the time they went to post), Martin Todhunter’s mare failed in her bid to follow up at Hexham last time out, but at least she did keep on well enough on the flat to indicate she may have been a bigger threat with a stronger gallop. Clearly in better fettle than when last seen on the level two years ago, she also has plenty of soft ground form in Ireland for previous connections and that all adds up make her a tempting proposition off her rating of 65 here tonight (ran well off 74 when with Johnny Murtagh).