Andy Holding's Wednesday Racing Tips

The first thing to say on a general note is it’s a miracle that racing at the Merseyside venue has survived after all the heavy rain we’ve seen in the last few days, but that shouldn’t inconvenience LORELINA (NAP) (best price 15-8) one iota having shown plenty of strong form under testing conditions in the past.

Indeed, the last time she encountered genuine heavy ground, she ran out a pretty impressive winner over today’s C&D and even though she’s failed in her attempt to add to her win tally since, all three defeats have been excusable. Out of the money when finding 1m4f on soft ground stretching her stamina in the November Handicap on her final start to the campaign, quicker surfaces at both Goodwood and Epsom last time out proved unsuitable but now back under her optimum conditions with those initial outings under her belt, Andrew Balding’s mare looks to have every chance of providing her in-form handler with another winner.

Whether it was the quick turnaround (2 days since previous run), racing right-handed or jumping conventional hurdles, there’s no denying Cray was slightly disappointing when a well-beaten favourite at Cork last time out, but in any case, MACGILONEY (best price 8-1) ran a much better overall time and final circuit sectionals over the same C&D and for that reason, Denis Hogan’s inmate looks way overpriced at 8-1 compared to the skinny-looking 4-1 of the market leader. Staying on strongly at the Co Mallow venue, the son of Milan finally got the better of the front-running Foxy Jacks and that victory was more than he deserved after a strong of solid placed efforts. Clearly well suited by three miles with a little ease in the ground, tonight’s conditions should be ideal for the six-year-old and being an honest and reliable type, he should once again run his race.

A similar set of circumstances developed at Tipperary on May 23 when SWEET HOME CHICAGO (best price 12-1) was faster in every department than Stacks Mountain, so the fact that the former is twice the price of Henry De Bromhead’s charge this evening is well worth exploiting.

Beaten fair and square by the useful Humm Baby at the Limerick Junction track, she in turn, however, pulled well clear of the rest and now returning to her optimum conditions of three miles with a bit of ease underfoot, a big performance is anticipated from Colin Bowe’s lightly-raced 10-year-old.

PAPA STOUR (best price 11-4) arguably isn’t the most straightforward of characters, but at the same time, he does have plenty of ability and having run well against the track bias at Chelmsford last time out, the Scat Daddy gelding could be in line for a return to the winner’s enclosure.

Fairly progressive on the all-weather surfaces during the early part of last season, Andrew Balding’s four-year-old rather lost his way, but a break and subsequent gelding operation seemed to work the trick on the evidence of his performance at the Essex venue 16 days ago so hopefully that’s a sign of better things to come. In a well-run contest, he impressed by the way he finished off his race late on and even though tonight’s tricky outside draw isn’t ideal, he does have the services of the massively inform Oisin Murphy to hopefully guide him in the right direction.