Andy Holding's Thursday Racing Tips

There’s bound to be plenty of conjecture about the draw in a race like this, but a lot will depend of where the pace is and with in-form Philipine Cobra likely to set a reasonable tempo nearside from her low draw, both MAGICAL WISH (best price 7-1) and PRINCESS POWER (best price 14-1) should get a lovely tow into the action.

The former was a big eye-catcher the way he finished off his race in a valuable and competitive three-year-old sprint handicap at York two starts ago and on the back of that effort, he was quite rightly a warm order to go two places better over a furlong further at Sandown next time. Unfortunately, on an afternoon where it paid to race handy, his deep-closing run-style wasn’t seen to best effect and he ended up having to play second fiddle to the more positively-ridden Make A Wish. However, he still came out of the race with his reputation firmly intact and now back into a white-hot, large-field handicap which should play more into his strengths, a big performance looks on the cards.

The Nigel Tinkler operation is currently running at 25% for the last two weeks (8 wins from 32 runners) so the latter has to come into the equation not only based on those stats, but several strong pieces of previous form lines. A real money-spinner as a two-year-old, the daughter of Slade Power claimed a C&D win as one her most notable efforts and although she’s taken a while to find full stride this term, a success in the first-time visor at Doncaster was no more than she deserved from some of her previous endeavours. Good on the figures at Town Moor, she clearly arrives here in excellent heart and as she’s proved in the past that a strongly-run handicap serves her well, there’s not too many negatives in her direction.

As is often the case at this time of year, improving three-year-olds are a deadly breed against their elders in races of this nature and having impressive both visually and on the numbers here last time out, MOQTARREB (best price 7-2) is strongly fancied to keep the flag flying for his generation.

Winless prior to shipping up on the July Course for the first time a month ago, Roger Varian’s colt brushed aside that unwanted tag with a degree of panache and the way he quickened up to turn away two useful colts inside the final furlong suggests he has a bright future (very good closing fractions). Although soundly beaten by Artistic Rifles earlier in the campaign, the son of Kingman has clearly improved in the interim period and it would be disappointing if he wasn’t to turn around the form with his old rival before going on to better things.

HAMISH (NAP) (best price 6-5) has to be marked down as one of the most promising horses in the William Haggas stable and he’s taken to continue his progression up the ladder at the expense of some similarly potential useful types.

Extremely encouraging on his debut at Thirsk, only greenness prevented him from lowering the colours at subsequent Silver Bowl runner-up, Munhamek, and on the back of that effort, he was quite rightly backed to the exclusion of everything else for what looked golden opportunity at Redcar next time. Unfortunately, temperament got the better of him down at the start and he refused to be loaded at the Yorkshire venue, so it was a case of getting him back home and going back to the drawing board. Quiet as a mouse pre-race on his latest outing at Windsor, the son of Motivator saved all his energy for the track to win by seven lengths without being fully extended, and being a big, imposing type with a long stride, today’s test over a proper galloping track should bring the best out of this highly-exciting gelding.

There’s a solid argument to be made that we haven’t seen the best of SPANISH STAR (best price 9-2) yet despite him landing two handicaps so far this season (could have easily been 4-4), and he rates fairly confident choice as he bids to put that theory to the test.

A smooth winner at Bath in a fast time on his seasonal reappearance, Pat Chamings’ gelding was unlucky to get chucked out by the stewards next time out at Goodwood when they deemed him to have intimidated runner-up Atlanta’s Boy (one of the worse decisions for some time). Deservedly back on track on his return visit to the Sussex track next time, the son of Requinto found Lingfield’s sharp five-furlongs counting against him last time out, but now returning to a more conventional course over his optimum trip, a well-run race and normal luck in running should see him going close to returning to winning ways.