Andy Holding's Friday Racing Tips

ROYAL CLARET (best price 5-2) proved no match for some talented young chasing recruits on her debut over fences at Uttoxeter a month ago, but she should find today’s calmer waters much more palatable and she’s confident choice to keep the ball rolling for her in-form trainer.

A dual winner over hurdles, Tom Symonds’ mare has often come to the fore when the emphasis has been on stamina and even though the ground was on the soft side at the Midland venue 28 days ago, it wasn’t sufficiently testing enough to slow down the likes of Diablo De Rouhet and Clondaw Anchor, who be several grades higher in terms of pure ability. Considering she was up to her eyeballs in classy opponents that day, she did impress by the way she stuck to her task for a horse racing out of the handicap and with today’s contest likely to be run at a more pedestrian pace, a big run looks on the cards from the daughter of Yeats.

BELLEPOWER (best price 10-3) ran with great credit on her first start on the all-weather for almost a year here last time out and providing she receives a better rub of the green this time around, John Feane’s filly can finally get off the mark.

A big eye-catcher the time before at the Curragh when coming from miles behind to finish a never-nearer fifth to the more positively-ridden Ultra Pride, the daughter of Slade Power was set with a similar task on her hands over tonight’s C&D 35 days ago. Last turning for home, the three-year-old chestnut did her level best to make up the lost leeway and although she couldn’t quite lay a glove on the eventual winner, Rockview Roman, her effort in trying to do so has to go down as a commendable effort. Hopefully, her same apprentice rider will give her a little less of a mountain to climb this evening and if so, this scopey filly has enough ability at this level to make an impact.

CACHE QUEEN (NAP) (best price 15-8) was set an unnecessarily impossible task here last time out and, in the hope that she’s ridden a little more proactively this time around, the in-form four-year-old is afforded another chance. Having been drawn poorly on her three previous starts, stall two was a luxury she hadn’t been used too in recent times, so to see her be allowed to sleepwalk through the early part of the 1m4f journey here 16 days ago, and not make full use of her draw, was galling to say the least. Jumping well from her inside post, the daughter of Kodiac somehow got shuffled back through the pack to have only one behind her as the field turned for home, so to end up just going down in a wild photo finish is testimony to her current wellbeing (made up ten lengths in the last three furlongs). Clearly much better than that bare result indicated last time out, Ado McGuiness’ mare is also reverting back to her optimum trip, which is an added bonus, so despite normally services being resumed with her being handed another tricky draw, hopefully she’s in good enough heart to overcome such a negative. Spelga looks the obvious threat.