Andy Holding's Friday Racing Tips

SOARING GLORY (NAP) (best price 2-1) ran out a decisive winner of an ultra-competitive contest over today’s C&D last time out and he’s fancied to confirm himself as one of the leading bumper horses seen out so far this season.

A winner on debut at Warwick back in October, Jonjo O’Neill’s gelding was one of the few quietly fancied to take down the short priced favourite, Kid Commando, at the Berkshire venue 27 days ago, and so it came to pass, as he left his rivals for dead inside the final half a mile after travelling supremely well in behind the strong pace from the outset. Clocking a big time figure for the race type, the son of Fame And Glory displayed a high level of speed and stamina in equal measures and even though conditions on his return visit are a little more demanding, he’s still expected to come through with flying colours.

ANGELS (best price 9-2) gave out the sort of positive signals that very much suggested she’s about to click into top gear sooner rather than later and with tonight’s race a significant step down in grade compared to her latest assignment, Johnny Murtagh’s filly can be backed with a certain degree of confidence.

Rated 85 at her peak when with Tim Easterby in the UK, the daughter of Dark Angel has taken a while to return to the same level of form since crossing the Irish Sea, but following a promising performance on her first outing over tonight’s track two starts ago, she delivered another first-class effort on her return visit 30 days ago. Drawn poorly on the outside, the four-year-old filly was forced to race wide for the majority of the seven-furlong trip, so to finish as close as she did against several in-form performers in testimony to her current wellbeing. Swapping cheekpieces for the first-time visor she wore last time, a decent break from her fairly favourable middle draw should allow to stalk the pace and make her challenge down the centre of the track – where the best ground seemed to be here the another night.

LOMU (best price 3-1) clocked some eye-popping numbers when trouncing his opponents here last time out and despite tonight’s assignment being a good deal tougher, Iain Jardine’s in-form sprinter is fancied to bridge the class gap.

Having his first outing since September and for new connections, the Dandy Man gelding impressed by the way he tanked his way through what was a very strongly run affair here at the beginning of the month and once given his head inside the final furlong he readily pulled clear of his field to score in a fast time (also posted 22.8 for last two furlongs). Moreover, the third home, Fizzy Feet, has gone on to boost the form at Lingfield next time out and this big, bull of a sprinter is taken to follow suit providing he gets a smooth passage.

GOLDEN VALOUR (best price 7-1) got his due rewards for his several previous promising displays in competitive handicaps and now returning to this sphere with his confidence boosted to the max, Richard O’Brien’s gelding can keep the positivity going in the right direction.

Way too good for subsequent winner Bashful Boy over tonight’s C&D two weeks ago, it’s actually his previous run against many of his old rivals that gives him a first class chance of scoring. Drawn wide, the son of Kingman pulled extremely hard when getting a brutal trip around the outside off a slow pace, but to his ultimate credit, he did manage to keep on fairly strongly to finish a respectable fifth behind the likes of Charcor, Bold Approach and Sky Seven. Considering the aforementioned trio all received much smoother passages and conserved more energy, they all might struggle to cope with Golden Valour in this rematch now he’s been handed a better draw and in any case, there’s simply no way he could be a 16-1 shot according to the Racing Post forecast.