Andy Holding's Saturday Racing Tips

BIELSA (best price 11-2) looked a sprinter going places when scoring in determined fashion at Thirsk last time out and he’s taken to protect his unbeaten record on his stiffest test so far to date.

Just the one run last season resulted in a victory at Redcar towards the backend and following a gelding operation and a break of 211 days, he returned to action over today’s course in May. Momentarily outpaced at the two pole, Kevin Ryan’s inmate found plenty for pressure in the closing stages to win going away and off the back of that game win, he was awarded a mark of 87. Taking that rating into a white-hot handicap at the Yorkshire venue 15 days ago, the son of Invincible Spirit served up a similar combination of early raw speed and stamina in the closing stages and with the tremendous time figure boosted by the likes of Golden Apollo (fourth to Swindler at Ascot) and Roundhay Park (might have won here three days ago with a clear run) subsequently, the lightly-raced four-year-old is expected to continue his march towards the top of the tree.

SAND FLY (best price 6-1) ran way above expectations over today’s C&D four days ago and providing she’s capable of putting in the same sort of performance after just a few night’s rest to recuperate, Patrick Neville’s mare has surely got to take high rank back in handicap grade off this sort of mark.

Despite running well the time before at Killarney, it was no great surprise to see the daughter of Footstepsinthesand a 25-1 shot up against some useful fillies and mares off level weights four days ago, but to say she outrun her odds is an understatement. Settling well in midfield, she gradually worked her way through the field to hold every chance two out and although she couldn’t find the necessary kick to overhaul the front-running Willie Mullins-trained winner, Blazing Emily, she did pull nicely clear of the rest. Numbers-wise, it was a fair effort by the six-year-old and hailing from a yard whose horses have acquitted themselves well here all week (all finished in the frame), she should be capable of keeping that trend going.

HUMM BABY (best price 3-1) got to the point where she’d finally run her course over hurdles and with the decision to crack on with her chasing career immediately rewarded at Kilbeggan last time out, she’s strongly fancied to continue on an upward curve.

A comfortable winner of a competitive handicap hurdle at Tipperary back in May, her next two performances, albeit over an unproven three miles, were slightly below-par, so it was over fences she popped. Up against the likes of the more experienced Make My Heart Fly and Eamon High, she unsurprisingly found herself a little detached at halfway - struggling to come to terms with flying around the tight nature of Killbegaan - but by the time she reached the long run to the last, she opened up really well once in full cry to readily reel in the pace setters. Clocking a time figure six seconds quicker than the older horse handicap over the same trip, Michael Hourigan’s mare clearly ran to a very high level first time off the bat, and with the runner-up going on to boost the form next time out, the decision to stick over fences and not be tempted by the valuable 30k hurdle contest the race before will hopefully be rewarded.

As predicted, most of the big guns providing all the chat in the pre-race build-up have been declared, so it should end up being a decent scrap to see who comes out on top. Naturally, given her exploits against the very best, Magical heads the betting based on the pick of her form, but at the same time, whether she’s a genuine 7-4 against another stellar field after bruising encounter last time is open to question.

Headman has been one of the big improvers of the season and thoroughly deserves a shot at Group 1 company, but again, this is a big ask for a horse who just scrambled home in a Group 2 last time and 4-1 could hardly be described as the bet of the season based on what he’s achieved so far.

Elarqam has been parachuted into the prize after his unlucky defeat in the Juddmonte International at York last time out and he should give another solid account, but running in the same colours for Hamdan Al Maktoum, MADHMOON (NAP) (best price 11-2) makes plenty of appeal at his morning quotes considering his body of work in recent times. A top-quality two-year-old, Kevin Prendergast’s colt has acquitted himself with great credit in races such as the 2000 Guineas and both English and Irish Derby’s and on each occasion, he’s always left the impression that today’s 1m2f trip might end up being his optimum. Moreover, he has a terrific record over today’s course, as form figures of 1121 testify (only defeat coming over 7f on soft ground), and having warmed up nicely for tilt at this contest with another smooth success at the Dublin track last time, he should be just about at fever-pitch come the final hour. Whichever way you strip in down, the son of Dawn Approach has a huge amount in his favour and should be played accordingly.

Lancaster House has really impressed on his three victories so far to date and he very much remains an unknown quantity, but whether accounting for Wargrave and 88-rated handicapper Winiata at Listowel in midweek entitles him to be 6-4 against some established performers at this level remains to be seen.

Of those in the solid, older-horse bracket, the one most likely to run his race is SUEDOIS (best price 4-1) and at the respective morning odds, he makes plenty of appeal as an each-way alternative. David O’Meara’s gelding has pretty much dined at the very top table for most of his career and his victory at Goodwood last time out was more than he deserved after his previous unlucky exploits. Although most of his best form has come over seven-furlongs, he has got plenty of top-class performances to his name over today’s trip - including a win in this race two years ago – and with conditions underfoot ideal, this strong-travelling eight-year-old can prove that there’s still life in the old dog yet.

BOPEDRO (best price 17-2) just found the combination of a sharp track and soft ground counting against him at Listowel in midweek, but at the same time, he still ran well enough to justify a certain degree of faith is keep with him back under his optimum conditions.

Extremely easy to back on his first start for new connections at Cork last month, Jim Bolger’s gelding belied those crazy 25-1 odds with a display of some quality and the way he took apart a field of useful handicappers there was no argument when he was raised 9lb as a consequence. As stated, things didn’t really work out for him at the Kerry venue just three days ago, but he did hit the line pretty hard once out in the clear and having already disposed of Current Option with some aplomb, it makes no sense why he should be chalked up almost twice the price of his old rival