Andy Holding's Tuesday Racing Tips

It’s been a little while between drinks for ATLETICO (best price 9-2), but he still remains in consistent form and maybe the application of headgear this afternoon might work the oracle. In the money in each of his last six starts, David Evans’ gelding didn’t do much wrong at Beverley last time out only for him to get mugged in the latter stages when the fast-finishing Twin Appeal came burrowing up the inside fence to steal the prize in the dying strides. The way he travelled through that well-run contest at the Yorkshire venue indicates he’s got plenty of zest for the game at the moment and with most of his best performances in his career coming on the all-weather, the seven-year-old rates a solid each-way proposition.

All three of these are pretty tightly-matched based on their hurdles ratings, but LE MUSEE (NAP) (best price 5-4) has already shown a fair level of form on his only start over fences at Ffos Las and he’s strongly fancied to press home that advantage and maintain his unbeaten record.

In form on the Flat prior to heading to the Welsh track, Nigel Hawke’s gelding immediately exerted his superiority by picking up the running going down the back straight and from that point onwards his sound jumping and relentless gallop simply blew the opposition away. With the likes of the dual winner Potterman and useful Notnow Seamus unable to land a blow, it was no surprise to find that the son of Galileo had posted a smart speed figure and with the likelihood of another positive ride here tonight, just a solid round of jumping again should be good enough to see off his two opponents.

There’s no denying the ease in which Theatre Act made a winning start for new connections here last week, but he hasn’t been missed in the market, and that opens things up nicely for a bit of each-way thievery on RASASEE (best price 9-2) who has more than a fair chance of capitalising on any misgivings by the short-priced favourite.

Formerly with Tim Vaughan, the six-year-old grey made the perfect start for new connections when winning with some authority at Worcester at the beginning of the month and although he failed in his bid to follow up six days later, the combination of drop back in trip and bumping into a similarly well-handicapped horse in the shape of Black Anthem just caught him out. Better known for his stamina, tonight’s step back up to three miles should see him in a better light and he makes plenty of appeal at the morning odds.

Things didn’t pan out for CROESO CYMRAEG (best price 3-1) and Raul Da Silva here last time out, but hopefully lightening won’t strike twice and Brazilian can make amends for what can only be described as a total misjudgement.

Granted the son of Dick Turpin isn’t an easy ride, having to be ridden with good deal of restraint in the early stages of his races, but he must have been the thick end of 15 lengths off the speed with only three furlongs to run in a similar event 18 days ago, and there was simply no way his mount was ever going to make up that sort of ground in such a short space of time. To be fair to the five-year-old, he made a decent fist of things in the home straight and he certainly left the impression he would have gone close to adding another win to his recent tally if he’s been ridden with a little more positivity. A strong-traveller with a useful turn of foot relatively speaking for this sort of grade, the five-year-old gelding has the beating of this field if things go his way this time around.