Andy Holding's Tuesday Racing Tips

Collectively, this beginners chase is without doubt the deepest race of its type run so far this season either side of the Irish Sea and it should turn out to be a really informative affair. Bapaume is the obvious starting point being a genuine top-class performer over hurdles and if he takes to the bigger obstacles then he will probably have too much quality for his 13 rivals.

There is, however, more than one way to skin a cat and both Henry De Bromhead runners, CUNEO (best price 7-1) and INSULT (best price 16-1) make plenty of appeal in the ‘without the favourite’ market. The former took the Pertemps Qualifier at Leopardstown on route to Cheltenham and although he didn’t manage to confirm the form with the eventual winner, Sire Du Berlais, he still came out of the race at the Festival with great credit. Probably over the top when running way below par at the Punchestown Festival, the son of Kapgarde arrives here fresh and well after his summer break and providing he’s somewhere near peak fitness, he has the ability to make an impact at his new discipline.

The latter has also looked every inch a chaser and he should also be capable of outrunning his odds providing he’s ridden in a fairly positive manner on his first go over fences. A convincing winner of a maiden hurdle in a decent time figure at Punchestown last February, the six-year-old tipped up when going well in the EBF Final over today’s course two months later, but that didn’t effect his confidence too much as he went on to run a blinder in a similarly competitive handicap back at Punchestown on his final outing of the campaign. Whether today will be his day is open to question because Rachel Blackmore has chosen Cuneo, but either way, he’s too good to go completely unmissed at the prices and he’s certainly one to keep an eye on going forward at the very least.

TOWN PARKS (best price 11-2) shaped with plenty of encouragement on his seasonal reappearance at Stratford recently and with that run bound to have sharpened him up in all departments, Kerry Lee’s gelding is fancied to provide his local trainer with some much-needed cheer.

Looking in trouble down the back straight at the Midland venue 12 days ago, the son of Morozov stayed on nicely from an uncompromising position to finish on the coat tails of the main players and with the time figure indicating the race was run at a fair gallop, it clearly wasn’t bad return on his first outing for 200 days. Although he’s got some solid form – including that race in question – going left-handed, he’s a much better proposition going the other way around, and with some of his best performances also coming over today’s course, it makes sense to look strongly towards him going well again at his happy hunting ground. Apart from one below-par run on ground too fast, his career record here reads 212 and with forecast rain also seen as a huge positive towards his chances, the eight-year-old makes plenty of each-way appeal.

With just the few samples we have of the three-year-old’s in handicaps so far this season, the overall consensus is that they are a worth following at this time of year against the more exposed older horses and HEN (best price 11-4) should be backed accordingly off what still appears a workable mark of 104.

An eight-race maiden on the Flat when with Jamie Osbourne, she finally delivered the goods on her final start for her previous handler when scoring in gritty fashion at Uttoxeter and she now finds herself in the hands of a more established jumps yard. Handling the testing ground well at the Midland track, the daughter of Camelot also posted some useful numbers next to her name for good measure and, with the runner-up going on to run well at Chepstow last week, it’s safe to say the form can be believed. Come the last race on the card, the ground around the inside is likely to be churned up, so hopefully Daryl Jacob will go looking for some better conditions out wide and if that turns out to be the case, there shouldn’t be too many excuses made if she couldn’t turn this field away based on her figure last time and her current wellbeing.