Andy Holding's Thursday Racing Tips

SHERIFFMUIR’s (NAP) (best price 6-4) wellbeing has to be taken on trust being off the track for 440 days, but the absence could well be worth the wait should he run to the level he achieved on debut at Newbury last July.

Well-touted for his opening gambit at the Berkshire venue, the 13-8 favourite had to overcome a wide draw in stall 18 of 18 if he was to justify the gamble and although he failed in his bid to achieved the feat, his performance in finishing a staying-on third deserved the utmost praise. Moreover, the two that finished ahead of his that day were none other than Momkin and Beat Le Bon and when you consider what that pair have gone on to achieve, he clearly faced an impossible task. Why he’s been off the track for so long is a bit of mystery, but providing he’s somewhere near optimum fitness after his sabbatical, then he should be going close in the race of this nature.

ON ROUTE (best price 5-2) has yet to win in 10 starts, but she showed enough at Kempton last time out to suggest she should be capable of ending that unwanted stat sooner rather than later.

Racing in the blinkers for the first time, the daughter of Pivotal was settled in the rear at the Surrey venue and then just as she was being delivered with what looked to be a potent challenge approaching the final furlong, her path was blocked and she got momentarily stopped in her run. Not having enough time to recover, Sir Mark Prescott’s filly kept on well to finish a close-up fourth, leaving the impression she would have gone close to winning with a clear run. The winner, Magicinthemaking, went on to advertise the value of the form back at the same track last night, and having run well on her only previous visit to today’s venue this time last year, everything looks set fair for another bold attempt at trying to get off the mark.

REAL ESTATE (best price 11-2) ran a good bit better than his finishing position suggested in a similar contest over tonight’s C&D last time out and he’s fancied to vindicate that view back at the Essex track nine days on. Settled just in behind the pace, Michael Attwater’s gelding held every chance as the field turned for home, but just at the moment when he was being wound up for his effort, the door slammed in his face at a crucial stage. Whether he would have won or not is anyone’s guess, but there’s no doubt he would have certainly gone close at the very least, so based on that assumption and also working on the theory that wherever Desert Fox finishes this evening he should be bang there too, the son of Dansili rates the value call being chalked up almost twice the price of his old adversary.

Broughton’s Excels ran out a decent winner over tonight’s C&D last time out, but it may well have been a different story had FREA (best price 7-2) received a better rub of the green and Harry Dunlop’s inmate rates the value call to turn the tables around on her old rival.

Badly hampered at the start, the daughter of Sea The Moon had a mountain to climb as the field left the back straight, but in doing some sterling late work at the business end, she ended up on the coat tails of the main players and very much suggesting she would have been a bigger involvement with a smoother passage. Probably not the most straightforward given her slightly ungainly head carriage, she’s clearly not one to go in with all guns blazing, but the same time, she’s certainly shown enough to suggest there’s a small race to be won with her and tonight may well turn out to be her night to shine.