Andy Holding's Friday Racing Tips

UNEXPECTED DEPTH (best price 11-4) seemed to win with a huge amount up his sleeve at Listowel last time out and despite the assessor trying his best to derail Oliver McKiernan’s gelding, he’s still taken to come through with flying colours and complete the hat trick.

Shipping up at the Kerry venue off the back of a smooth breakthrough success at Sligo previously, the son of Shantou was well-backed to make a successful transition to handicapping and that proved to be the case. Always going well in behind the speed, the five-year-old picked up the running on the run down to two out and having quickly assumed command, he pulled readily clear to win eased down by four lengths. How much he had up his sleeve is almost impossible to quantify, but either way, this lightly-raced gelding is most definitely going the right way and his level of improvement doesn’t look like ending any time soon.

COURT BALOO (best price 4-1) left his field for dead over today’s C&D last time out and providing Alistair Whillans’ gelding handles today’s softer ground (has run well here on heavy), there’s every chance he can dish out a similar beating.

Reverting to hurdles after a small period over fences, the Court Cave gelding was ambitiously sent to the front with a circuit race at the Northumberland track but once establishing clear daylight between himself and the rest of the field, he never looked back. Scoring by an impressive 18 lengths, it’s worth noting he ran the last circuit three seconds faster than the 123-rated Desert Point, who had the luxury of racing over a mile less, and with the runner-up, Chocolat Noir, going on to prove the value of the form at Perth last week, the eight-year-old looks hold all the aces at a track that suits.

SHINES HER LIGHT (best price 5-2) gave the distinct impression she would have won with anything like a clear run at Naas last time out and she should be backed accordingly to confirm that view in this similar heat.

Held up towards the rear in the early stages, Jessica Harrington’s filly wasn’t in too bad a position as the field turned for home, but just as she was trying to mount a challenge heading inside the two-furlong pole, she all of a sudden got trapped in behind a wall of horses with nowhere to go. Once out in the clear, she flew home to only narrowly fail to grab the spoils and even though the handicapper has also taken the view that she probably would have won by raising her in the ratings, she still should be capable of going close on the evidence of what we saw of her 16 days ago.

BLOWING DIXIE (NAP) (best price 15-8) seems to have really taken to this surface judged by his two winning performances on the fibresand and he rates a very strong choice to maintain his unbeaten record despite being out of the handicap in this slightly tougher assignment to those he’s faced thus far.

A very easy winner on his first start over the C&D back in August, the son of Dubawi faced a tough opponent in the shape of previous scorer Land Of Winter on his return visit eight days ago, and for those that piled into the short-priced favourite, they got the shock of their lives. Always travelling sweet as a nut, the lightly-raced three-year-old breezed past his main market rival with minimum of fuss two out and from that point onward he just had to be nudged out to register a comfortable success. Moreover, his overall time figure and final three furlong sectionals (37.5) indicated he ran to a very high standard for a horse rated just 59, and even though this is by no means a stroll in the park, his proven experience added to his numbers makes him an automatic and confident pick.

For those for us who backed DALILEO (best price 7-2) here last week, the last three furlongs were extremely painful viewing, but Johnny Murtagh’s gelding gets an immediate chance to heal the wounds in this similar contest a week on.

Having run an extremely encouraging race on just his second start for new connections on soft ground at Listowel, the son of Galileo was well backed to vindicate the impression he created at the Kerry venue and but for a desperately unlucky passage in the latter stages seven days ago he surely would have won with a bit to spare. Considering he ran so well in defeat having been poorly drawn in the first place is testimony to his qualities and now much better housed in stall two, the four-year-old can get himself into a more favourable early position before being unleashed with a telling blow down the straight. Of the rest, Quote could turn out to be the chief threat, although it’s worth pointing out that stable mate, Eminence, had better form coming into the same race last week and he got totally battered by Dalileo, so you do the math.