Andy Holding's Wednesday Racing Tips

A cracking race in prospect with three mares right on top of their game locking horns and of the trio, AWEEMINIT (best price 9-2) makes the most appeal at the prices.

Taking a while to find her feet since leaving the Fergal O’Brien stable, the daughter of Arcadio was well-backed to get the job done at Bangor last time out and she made no mistake, ultimately scoring with quite a bit in hand. The way she travelled and quickened to seal the deal was the feature of the performance and it came no surprise afterwards to learn that she’d posted a useful speed figure for the grade. Interestingly, both the second and third that day, Lady Avery and Milan Of Crystal, were heavily backed at Worcester last time out as a result, and although the former failed in her bid to boost the form having gone wrong after the third last, the latter finished a creditable third behind one of today’s participants, Miss Tynte. With today predicted to be a largely dry one in the area, the forecast good ground will suit and in anticipation of a decent gallop being set, everything should set up nicely for Dan Skelton’s mare to perform to her best.

There was plenty to like about the way DEMI SANG (best price 11-4) went about his work at Cartmel last time out and hailing from a yard in terrific form of late, the six-year-old can provide his Middleham handler with another winner.

It’s probably not unfair to suggest the son of Gris De Gris has been a tricky customer in the past, but he seems to have turned over a new leaf for current connections and he looks worth keeping on side until told otherwise. Although most of his best form had previously come over two miles, Ben Haslam’s inmate seemed to see the 2m5f journey out really well at the Cumbrian venue nine days ago and that opens up plenty more options for him going forward. Given that they went a good gallop the other day and his time figure ended up being a strong one for the grade, the sight of Western Miller in today’s field will be music to the ears of connections and likely to be confidently ridden, he’s expected to come through and claim the spoils late on.

It’s always difficult to predict how the draw will pan out here at the Kilkenny track (high numbers can sometimes be favoured if the jockeys decide to come over to the nearside in the straight), but providing stall one proves no barrier, QUEEN AMIDALA (best price 6-1) has all the qualities to go well on handicap debut. Improving with each run, Joseph Murphy’s filly first caught the eye when she finished an excellent third behind the potentially top-class Lancaster House at the Galway Festival and it came as no surprise to see her get off the mark at Killarney last time out. Momentarily outpaced as the field turned for home at the Co Kerry venue, the daughter of Bated Breath really impressed with the way she picked up in the closing stages and in the final analysis, she ended up scoring with a bit in hand. Clearly well-suited by a well-run mile with plenty of ease underfoot, today’s conditions and extra furlong should prove ideal, and off an opening mark of just 73, she appears to have been given a fair crack of the whip by the official assessor.