Andy Holding's Saturday Racing Tips

PUDS (best price 7-1) is just the type of horse her trainer Richard Hughes was a master on, in the sense she has to be switched off and delivered late, and with his filly also having an affinity with today’s track, she should end up being right in the thick of the action providing she’s on the right side of the draw.

A habitual strong traveller that has to be ridden with nerves of steel, the daughter of is very much suited by how the races often pan out at the Sussex track and even though that hasn’t necessarily been the case on her last two starts, there’s a school at thought to suggest that today’s big-field and fast pace will enable her to be carried further into the heat of battle. That said, one of those runner-up spots back here in May did see her finish ahead of the likes of subsequent winner Tis Marvellous, Lake Volta and Green Power, and a repeat of that level of form would surely be good enough to see her in the mix on her return visit.

SPIRIT OF APPIN (NAP) (best price 3-1) couldn’t hold a candle to easy winner Dame Malliot over today’s C&D last time out but she did take the scalps of some useful fillies in defeat and with the time figure also suggesting it was a fair heat, Brian Meehan’s charge is fancied to get her chance in the spotlight. Going as well as anything two out, the daughter of Champs Elysees momentarily looked like pulling off the upset, but she just didn’t have the change of gear compared to the winner and had to settle for an honourable second. Earlier in the campaign, the four-year-old filly had intimated that a good season was on the cards with a victory in a decent speed figure also at Goodwood and with a profile that suggests 1m4f on a stiff galloping track suits best, everything looks set fair for another bold show.

DE NAME ESCPAES ME (best price 25-1) seems to have been rejuvenated by a switch to the Flat of late and he looks to have a better chance than the bookmakers have afforded him.

Stale over fences since winning the Foxrock Handicap Chase at Navan last December, Noel Meade’s gelding bounced back to something like his old self when getting up in the shadows of the post to break his maiden tag on the Flat at Roscommon two starts ago. Not quite good enough to cope with the progressive Trossachs at the Curragh last time out, the son of Vinnie Roe still confirmed his wellbeing with a solid effort in second and given that his last two runs over hurdles resulted in a victory of Class B contest at Naas and a runner-up spot in a similar race at Navan, it’s a mystery how he can be chalked up as a 25-1 poke this afternoon – especially as rain is forecast.

Another that arrives here courtesy of a victory on the Flat and appears overlooked is ROCK DE BAUNE (best price 20-1) and he also has to be worth playing at his morning odds.

Off the track for 54 days since finishing mid-division in the Adare Manor Final at the Punchestown Festival, John Kiely’s gelding was well-backed to make a winning debut on the level recently and even though he only just managed to get the job done, he actually did really well to oblige considering he was some way off the pace going down the back for the final time. Although that race was nothing special form-wise, at least it proved his current wellbeing and hailing from a stable that often pop up with the odd gem at this fixture, the son of Saddex has a decent chance of being competitive if he can run to the same level that saw him finish fifth in the Pertemps Qualifier at Leopardstown Christmas Festival.

No better men to have on your side in races of this nature than John Gosden and Aidan O’Brien and their two fillies, ENBIHAAR (best price 4-1) and SOUTH SEA PEARL (best price 7-2) are taken again the field.

The former has the unenviable advantage of already winning over today’s course and that came courtesy of gutsy win in a listed race on her first start of the campaign. Undone by really fast ground at York next time, more suitable conditions enabled her to reverse form with her old rival Dramatic Queen and this strong galloper is fancied to put up another bold show.

The fly in the ointment to the more established older-horse form arrives via the latter and she could easily be good enough to handle the step up in class. Unlucky two starts ago at Leopardstown, the daughter of Galileo made no mistake on her return to the Dublin track last time when gaining a much smoother passage and with today’s long run from the top of the hill expected to really suit her long, flowing stride, she easily rates the best of the classic generation.

As ever, a terrifically competitive renewal of one of the most established handicap sprints in the calendar and SUMMERGHAND (best price 12-1) and OPEN WIDE (best price 18-1) look just the types who should thrive in this sort of environment.

The former is building up a fine reputation as a horse for the big stage and his run in the Wokingham Handicap at Royal Ascot cemented that view. Although he wasn’t quite good enough to go with Cape Byron late on, he kept on stoically all the way to the line and with those in and around him that day, such as Danzeno and Tis Marvellous endorsing the quality of the race next time, there’s every reason to feel upbeat about his chance.

The latter has been called quite a few rude names in the past, and for good reason on several occasions, but he seems to have turned over a new leaf of late since his wind surgery and his latest series of results suggest he’s a far more reliable conveyance. No match for the turn of foot shown by Tis Marvellous at Ascot over five furlongs two starts ago, he did, however, take some notable scalps in staying on nicely over an inadequate trip to finish a creditable second and in filling out the same spot in the final of Windsor’s big six-furlong sprint series last time out, he once again confirmed his wellbeing. Unlucky in this race last year when nothing went right, Amanda Perrett’s gelding arguably arrives here in much better shape twelve months on and providing he gets the rub of the green and ends up being drawn on the right side of the track, a big run looks likely from this mercurial character.

Plenty of these lined up here earlier in the week to various degrees of success and failure so it’ll be interesting to see how the respective form lines work out, but the safest option is to go with MAKE A CHALLENGE (best price 7-1) and WAR HERO (best price 10-1) who were first and fourth respectively in a similar race four days ago.

Better drawn of the pair, the former took advantage of that fact and even though all the headlines went the way of the unlucky-in-running Beckwith Place, it would be dangerous to underestimate the performance of Denis Hogan’s gelding, who himself didn’t get the clearest of runs through. Handed with the favourable one box today and with the useful Joey Sheridan to offset the penalty, the four-year-old can go close to defying top weight.

The latter did really well in the light of the fact he had the coffin box draw in stall 19 the other night and he probably deserves a good bit of credit for hanging tough to hold on to fourth place. A consistent sort for whom seven-furlongs is most definitely his optimum trip, the Declaration Of War gelding is a must for any shortlist.

It would be a remarkable effort if ONE COOL POET (best price 9-2) were to complete a famous hat trick at this great meeting but given the form that he’s in at the moment, you’d be a brave man to suggest he can’t complete the feat. A cosy winner on day two over seven furlongs, Matthew Smith’s inmate managed to defy a wide draw to win with even more authority two days later over today’s C&D and with his ability to travel well and quicken up the hill his two main attributes, he clearly holds a significant advantage over his field.