Andy Holding's Tuesday Racing Tips

D’ESTRIER (best price 7-2) just found the steep rise into Grade 1 company at Aintree a bridge too far on his final start of the season, but he still covered himself with enough glory at the Merseyside track to suggest with another year under his belt, he won’t be out of place in races of that ilk in future and today looks a good starting point.

A useful novice hurdler, it was, however, fences where this scopey son of Voix Du Nord was always likely to shine and that proved to be the case on his first two starts over the larger obstacles at Southwell and Ayr. The feature of both performances was his slick jumping allied to a high cruising speed and it was only natural, therefore, that connections decided to let him take his chance against top-class opponents to see where the six-year-old stood in the overall scheme of things. For majority of the two-mile journey 213-days ago, Dan Skelton’s inmate appeared the most likely winner, but whether it was the fast ground or the culture shock of going flat out throughout that eventually caught up with him after the last. That said, his revised mark of 151 is probably a fair assessment of where he lies in the pecking order of two-mile chasers now, but with the potential to improve a good deal beyond that rating with plenty of time on his side, this lightly-raced gelding can strike an early blow in this division before his sights being raised in the future.

FALACHO (best price 11-1) didn’t run as badly as the bare result suggested at Chelmsford last week and she’s worth a punt to back up that view from a potentially favourable draw. Forced to race wide throughout the early stages of a well-run affair at the Essex venue, David Loughnane’s filly expended far too much energy to be considered a potent force late on, and so it proved, as she faded inside the final furlong to finish well down the field. Prior to that run, however, she had shown bright speed throughout over six furlongs at the same track in a decent novice event against two fillies of a much higher standard (71 and 69 rated) and if she can hit the gates and get onto the part of the track which seemed to provide an advantage to the low-drawn runners here last week, the daughter of Requinto can outrun her morning odds.

SANDY BOY (NAP) (best price 2-1) was unlucky to bump into the progressive Eva’s Oskar at Chepstow last week but, with the pair pulling well clear of a competitive field in a decent time figure, Philip Hobbs’ gelding is afforded another chance to gain compensation.

A winner of his previous two starts, the son of Tajraasi was naturally a warm order to complete the hat trick at the Welsh venue and for a large part of the three-mile journey, he looked like achieving the feat. Despite getting run out of the argument close home, he still, however, posted some pretty smart numbers for a horse of his grade (front two ran last circuit three seconds faster than the 130-rated Severano) and providing he arrives here in the same sort of shape as he did seven days ago, there’s every chance he can resume winning ways.