Andy Holding's Saturday Racing Tips

No great surprise to see Rathhill a popular choice down the front end of the market and he rates an interesting contender on handicap debut, but the locally-trained CURIOUS TIMES (best price 12-1) has some decent form next to his name – particularly at today’s track – and he can go well at decent odds for his less illustrious yard.

Lightly-raced for a six-year-old, Shane Crawford’s gelding has only managed to win once in 10 starts, but as that victory came as a career-high performance over today’s C&D, it’s clear that home comforts spark him into life. Posting decent numbers for a horse rated 105 that day (readily accounted for the useful mare Black Tears), it was understandable why the son of Shantou was a well-backed favourite for the final of the Adare Manor series at the Punchestown Festival and after holding every chance three out, it was disappointing to see him unseat rider just as the race was beginning to hot up. Not seen out since, hopefully the pause that refreshes will have done him the world of good and, having run to a useful standard on the times when he’s been off the track for a concerted period of time, he might be able to surprise a few of the so-called big guns.

INDEFATIGABLE (best price 11-4) showed up prominently until getting tired late on in the red-hot Silver Trophy at Chepstow last time out (very strong time figure) and with that run likely to have bought an edge to her fitness levels, she’s fancied to press home her advantage against several having their first outing of the season.

Held up towards the rear and having nothing to do with the suicidal gallop set up front, Paul Webber’s mare was then asked to make her move leaving the back straight and around the home bend, but as it turned out, that sustained effort for the thick end of half-a-mile in the hottest part of the race took its toll and by the time she’d jumped two out, she was a spent force. Although she kept on well enough to finish a respectable fifth, she left the overriding impression that she would benefit greatly for the run and, with that all-important run safely tucked under her belt, she can put that fitness to good use and gain the day over her three main market rivals who all arrive her off the back of an absence of 190 days or greater.

OLD JEROBOAM (best price 4-1) beat two above-average types at Worcester last time out and he looks sure to go well again hailing from a stable that had a nice novice hurdle winner here yesterday.

Unbeaten in two bumpers last season, Charlie Longsdon’s gelding was naturally a fairly popular choice to make a successful start to his life over hurdles, and having showed a decent technique throughout the contest at the Midland track, he had enough left in the tank to get the better of the strongly-fancied Paul Nicholls-trained runner Cat Tiger from the back of the last. Although the overall time figure wasn’t off the scale, suggesting they hadn’t got mad early, the backend sectionals, particularly from halfway, revealed a totally different story and having proved that he can hurdle well at pace and stay on strongly off the back of such fractions, the son of Jeremy should be well equipped to cope with the quickening tempo sure to be injected at some point in today’s above-average contest.

A cracking 3m handicap chase on paper with classy performers on show all the way down the list and right at the foot of weights, RELENTLESS DREAMER (best price 12-1) makes plenty of appeal at his morning odds.

Lightly-raced in recent times, Rebecca Curtis’ inmate proved he still has plenty to offer despite his near veteran status when landing the hugely competitive 3m1f handicap chase run at Cheltenham’s November meeting last season and it was a race that stood the test form-wise throughout the remainder of the campaign. Not seen out since, the son of Kayf Tara came back after a 350-day break to run a pleasing race at Chepstow recently and even though he has a fine record when fresh, he actually left the impression that he would be all the better for the run on that occasion. Having relished a proper test many times in the past, today’s conditions at the Berkshire track should prove ideal and off a feather weight, the 10-year-old can keep the good run going of his in-form handler.

Of the young bucks in the line-up, MISTER MALARKEY (best price 7-1) is by far and away the most intriguing and he’s also worth a small interest on his seasonal bow. A cracking fourth in what looked a vintage renewal of the RSA Chase last season, Colin Tizzard’s gelding rounded off the campaign with another solid effort in a viciously-competitive handicap at Aintree on Grand National Day and it’s also worth pointing out he’s a C&D winner couresty of his victory in the Reynoldstwon Novices’ Chase back in February. A solid-jumping and honest type, it would be a surprise if the six-year-old doesn’t land a big pot at some stage in the future and if it’s not today, he’s worth watching with a view towards the Ladbroke Trophy or the Welsh National later in the campaign.

Come the last race here today, fitness and ability to handle the likely testing conditions are going to be paramount and having shown all her best form under such conditions in the past and had a recent run, ALL MY LOVE (best price 16-1) is fancied to go well hailing from a yard who’s kicked in to gear over the last few days.

A convincing winner over hurdles on searching ground at Lingfield last season, Pam Sly’s mare was pitched into a red-hot contest at Market Rasen on her final outing of the campaign and, in what turned out to be a proper burn-up in the final mile at the Lincolnshire venue, she just didn’t have the pace to cope with many improving sorts who were flying along off the front end on fast ground. Returning to action on the Flat off the back of a 190-day break recently, the seven-year-old shaped like she would be all the better for the run when keeping on well late on after getting outpaced three out, and even though there has to be a slight issue regards to her overall record beyond two miles, she still has to be worth a small interest to see whether she can finally lay that ghost to rest.

FIRST IN LINE (NAP) (best price 5-2) had the misfortune to bump in to the irremovable force which is Trueshan (won since) at Newmarket last time out, but providing he’s managed to shake off any hangovers he may have had from that titanic struggle, John Gosden’s colt can get back on track.

In a race ran at an extremely sound pace at HQ 22 days ago, the feature of his performance was the way he travelled through the contest and although he didn’t have the necessary weapons to lower the colours of the winner in the closing stages, he still kept on strongly enough to pull well clear of the rest and record a very fast speed figure in his own right. Runner-up to Hamish in the Melrose and a winner on his only start on the all-weather at Lingfield earlier in the campaign, the son of New Approach has plenty of upside to carry forward in to this competitive handicap.