Andy Holding's Saturday Racing Tips

CAPTAIN CJ (best price 7-1) figured prominently throughout in the best novice chase on the figures run so far in Ireland and providing he can run to a similar level gain this afternoon, there’s no reason why he can’t put it up to some similarly highly-regarded types.

Runner-up to the useful Champagne Classic on chasing debut over today’s C&D, that vital experience allowed him to punch above his weight on his return visit a month later and although he ultimately proved no match with the eventual winner, Ronald Pump, he did manage to finish ahead of the likes of Speak Easy, Galvin, and Bapaume, who all have aspirations of going far over fences. Indeed, the winner is set to run in the Grade 1 Drinmore Chase here on Sunday, so for those of us that believe that Matthew Smith’s charge isn’t without a chance of toppling Samcro and Co, a big run by the son of Westerner would be a good omen for the form.

SAM’S ADVENTURE (best price 9-2) faced a proper baptism of fire on chasing debut at Carlisle up against several who were trapping along at a fair old rate of knots and with that invaluable experience taking as a huge positive going forward, Brian Ellison’s gelding should be capable of bold show at a track where he’s gone well before off the same mark.

Although he only managed to win once last season, it was the only time he encountered the kind of test he desires and in any case, the seven-year-old was only marking time before he could be over fences. Outpaced in a race that was run in faster final lap time that Lostintranslation on chasing bow, it was no wonder he was done for toe coming out of the back straight at the Cumbrian venue, but once he met the rising ground and his stamina began to kick in, he kept on well from the back of the field to finish a never-nearer fourth. Sure to be suited by today’s ground and three miles, the son of Black Sam Bellamy rates a big player with a clear round.

PARTY PLAYBOY (best price 15-8) must be one of the unluckiest horses in training having hit the bar in many quality races under both codes and today’s rated contest gives him a decent chance of gaining compensation for those recent near misses.

Picked off late on when looking certain to land the big 2m5f handicap at Goodwood on the Flat back in July, Anthony Mullins’ inmate suffered a similar fate in the Cesarewitch at Newmarket on his latest outing when the strongly-staying Stratum was just too good close home. A decent winner of a big-field handicap at Down Royal in June, the son of Samum has run up to a fair standard on both of his two outings over hurdles since and with today’s trip and ground his optimum, it will be disappointing if he couldn’t take advantage of the race conditions which are very much in his favour.

It’s been a while since a horse trained in the North took centre stage at one of the big Southern venues on a Saturday, but ELVIS MAIL (best price 7-1) is fancied to buck that trend in this competitive handicap.

On many occasions last season, Nick Alexander’s gelding exhibited a fair amount of potential and one of his better performances came when he finished a creditable third in a Grade 2 Hurdle at Kelso back in March. The way he went through that contest at the Borders venue suggested he could be a very well treated horse (rated 125 at the time) when sent in to handicap company and that theory became reality on his first outing of this campaign. Sent off an easy-to-back 7-1 chance in a seven-runner event at Ayr, the five-year-old belied his market weakness with a victory of some panache and, with the assessor only seeing fit to raise him 6lb to 138, he still looks to have something up his sleeve. A strong-travelling type who should be well suited by big-field handicaps, the son of Great Pretender can put his name firmly on the map if he can avoid the mistakes than sometimes have blighted his cause.

The handicap won by Storm Ahead was noted for its very good speed figure for the grade and having run better than the bare result suggests for contrasting reasons, both MR TOP HAT (best price 25-1) and KASER (best price 15-2) are worth considering at their respective odds back down in class.

The former was always handy in what turned out to be a very strongly-run affair and that ultimately proved to be his undoing as he didn’t quite see the trip out as well as some. That wouldn’t be the first time David Evans’ four-year-old has run well at the Dunstall Park track and he looks overpriced based on those latest exploits.

The latter got ridden in a totally different manner 12 days ago and he could never really get involved as the market suggested he might. He did, however, clocked quite a useful final circuit time given how far behind he was going past the beam first time around and providing he can work himself into a better position on his return visit, David Loughnane’s gelding has enough back-class around this track to play a significant role.