Andy Holding's Wednesday Racing Tips

Plenty of old favourites set to lock horns again in this traditional curtain-raiser to proceedings to the four-day meeting and of them, GUNMETAL (best price 12-1) and ORVAR ( best price 18-1) make most appeal at the morning odds.

Both took part in a similar contest here back at the May meeting and they each caught the eye for different reasons. The former stayed on well after getting slightly done for toe at the halfway stage and considering the ground he made up was on the un-favoured part of the track towards the near rail, his performance deserves extra praise. An even better run ensued when David Barron’s gelding finished a creditable sixth despite being drawn on the wrong side of the track in the Wokingham Handicap at Royal Ascot and although he failed to reproduce that effort in the Stewards Cup next time, once again, he appeared to be unsuited by the undulations of Goodwood. A late scratch from the Great St Wilfred at Ripon on Saturday due to the soft ground, the son of Clodovil should find conditions much more suitable this afternoon and as such, a bold show is likely.

The latter represents a stable who are always worth noting in races of this nature and he arrives here in terrific shape thanks to a cosy success at Doncaster over the weekend. Posting a fast time into the bargain, Paul Midgley’s gelding picked up a 5lb penalty that at least guaranteed his place in the line-up and having been very unlucky in that aforementioned contest won by Duke Of Firenze the last time he stepped foot on today’s track, he’s in the sort of form that should allow him to make some sort of amends.

A stellar renewal of this prestigious prize in which Crystal Ocean is going to take the world of beating on the pick of all his solid Group 1 form, but as he represents very little in the way of value, ELARQAM (best price 11-2) makes far more appeal at much more rewarding odds in the ‘without the favourite’ market.

Mark Johnston’s colt has always been held in the highest regard right from day one but due to issues with his wind, there was a point in his career when there was a danger he might never get back to the sort of form and promise he showed as a juvenile. However, this season he’s really clicked back into gear and following deserved victories at Goodwood and Sandown, he produced his best result for quite some time when beating the very smart Addeybb over today’s C&D. Despite racing on ground he’s never really relished in the past, the son of Frankel showed too much quality for his opposition and with his main market rival going on to show the value of the form next time out at Haydock, his performance gathers even greater significance. Now with form figures on the Knavesmire which read an impressive 131, the four-year-old couldn’t arrive here in any better shape, seemingly a fitter and hardier horse than he was last season, and with slight doubts about King Of Comedy regards trip and track (yet to race at York) and Japan arguably wanting further (looks a St Leger type), Elarqam looks the one primed to pick up the pieces.

Connections of SHARP FOCUS (best price 5-1) must have cursed their luck seeing their charge draw the outside peg twice in succession at the Galway Festival but now housed more favourable and returning to the scene of a previous C&D win, John Murphy’s gelding can deservedly get back on track. Running an amazing race on the first day behind the revelation of the meeting One Cool Poet over a mile, the son of Rock Of Gibraltar tried his hand over four furlongs further on the penultimate day and although he failed in his bid to go two places better, he still came out of the race with a good deal of credit. Once again bumping into Matthew Smith’s treble-winning hero, he looked booked for second until his stamina gave way inside the final furlong but now dropping back to his optimum conditions, he easily be capable of outrunning his morning odds.

Improving three-year-old stayers at this time of year often come into their own against their older counterparts and of the two that represent the Classic generation, TAVUS (best price 15-8) makes the most appeal.

Just a modicum of ability was forthcoming from his first three starts, but since he’s given a break and stepped up in trip, Roger Charlton’s gelding has really started to come into his own. A couple of placed efforts served notice that better times were ahead and facing 1m4f for the first time at Newbury 15 days ago, he proved equal to the task. Off the back of strong fractions for the grade, the son of Pour Moi stayed on with plenty of purpose at the business and with his backend sectionals also reading well compared to Richie Valens (rated 76) over a similar trip, it’s clear that he ran a good bit better than a rating of 60. Surprisingly only raised 5lb for that cosy success, Tavus still looks on the right side of the assessor and with an extra two furlongs threatening to bring about even further improvement, he rates a solid choice to beat the older three-year-old, Road To Paris, who got floored when seemingly a good thing off a 5lb lower mark than today last time out.

EDDYSTONE ROCK (best price 9-1) went through the line really strongly when landing the big two-mile event on Shergar Cup Day last time out and with a run-style that suggests he will be really suited by how today’s race is likely to pan out, John Best’s in-form gelding is fancied to put up another bold show. Having plied his trade around the 1m4f trip for most of his recent career, connections decided to dabble with a little further to see whether it might induce a bit of improvement and on the evidence of his last two starts, that seems to be the case. The way he stayed on from an unpromising position in a red-hot 1m6f handicap at Newmarket two starts ago suggested he was running into peak form and so it proved as he scooted clear in the twinkling of an eye at the Berkshire track off the back of very sound fractions a month later. As is often the case on the Knavesmire, being some way back in the pack on the round track isn’t seen as a massive negative, so with his perpetual slow start likely to ensure he’s in the cheap seats turning for home, his late rattle can be seen to good effect at the business end when others have shot their bolt.

Gavin Cromwell has quickly established himself – in no small way helped by Espoir D’Allen’s Champion Hurdle success – as one of the best dual-purpose trainers in Ireland and DARVER STAR (NAP) (best price 6-1) can prove testimony to that statement for the second time in two weeks. Off the track for 122 days, the seven-year-old gelding went to Downpatrick with a degree of confidence behind him and he didn’t disappoint with a performance of some panache. Always travelling well, the son of Kalanisi picked up the running going strongly approaching the last and once he met the rising ground late on, he powered his way towards the line seemingly still full of running. As a result of that demolition job, it came as no surprise to see the handicapper try and reek his revenge and while he may have levelled the playing field a bit for today’s opponents, there’s more than a fair chance that he still remains a step or two ahead.

GREY D’ARS (best price 15-2) lines up here as the outsider of the party, but had he got any sort of run at Goodwood last time out he would surely be much shorter in the betting and working on that theory, he simply has to be backed accordingly.

Having his first run for new connections since winning twice in his native France, Nick Littmoden’s was rather pitched into the deep end of a very competitive three-year-old handicap at the Sussex venue and although the end result suggests he may have been slightly out of his depth, he never really got a chance to show his true worth due to severe interference when he was coming with what looked a potent challenge two out. Given no time to recover, the son of Rajsaman was allowed to drift home in his own time and having finished upsides one of tonight’s rivals, Deal A Dollar, knowing how unlucky he was, it makes no sense how he can be chalked up three times the prices of Sir Michael Stoute’s colt based on their respective performances that day. A little keen in that tough assignment 19 days ago, he will clearly have to settle better in order to run to his best, but there’s a decent chance that the free-going Severance might help him out in that department and if that does turn out to be the case, Grey D’Ars can easily outrun his morning odds. Given his track form, Zuba looks to be the main danger and worthy favourite, so for those who might like to play a little safer, the selection could also be worth considering in the without the favourite market.