Andy Holding's Friday Racing Tips

TROED Y MELIN (best price 13-2) didn’t even get as far as the first before his race ended in unexpected fashion at Taunton last time out, but he’s afforded another chance to back up his previous performance at the same track off what still appears a very tempting mark.

Making his debut over fences at the West Country venue a month ago, Jimmy Frost’s inmate ended up being the only one to offer any sort of resistance to the well-backed From The Heart, and with the final circuit numbers that day suggesting they’d gone a decent enough clip for the grade, it was no surprise to see him strongly supported to vindicate that effort on his return visit. So far, the small sample sizes from that race in question indicate the form is fairly solid (Out For Justice finished third yesterday and Minella Examiner would have won but for falling at Wetherby) and with the excellent Bryan Carver again doing the steering, the eight-year-old looks have better prospects than his morning odds imply right down the foot of the handicap.

There are strong cases to be made for both The Mouse Doctor and Kajaki in this competitive little handicap, but preference at the prices goes in the direction of SEABOROUGH (best price 6-1) who posted some smart numbers for the grade in a novice event at Sedgefield last time out.

Tried in the hood the time before at Catterick, the headgear was dispensed with at the Durham venue two weeks later and, after travelling well throughout in what turned out to be a well-run affair thanks to the exploits of Dubai Days, David Thompson’s gelding ran out quite an impressive winner. Not only was his overall speed figure the best on the card, he also managed to run the final lap in a quicker time than both Masters Apprentice and Minella Trump over the same C&D and providing he can translate a similar level of form to a track he encounters for the first time, the son of Born To Sea has every chance of making his mark off what appears a fair handicap rating.

DARK MAGIC (best price 4-1) has been nothing short of a revelation since fitted with cheekpieces and another solid run looks forthcoming from Johnny Levins’ in-form gelding.

Third on his first outing in the headgear over tonight’s C&D back in November, the six-year-old only narrowly failed to gain what would have been a deserved all-weather breakthrough next time out a month later, but he didn’t have to wait too much longer to shed the maiden tag. Despite dropping a furlong in trip, the son of Invincible Spirit stayed on very strongly to get up close home in a well-run 7f handicap and with the likes of the in-form trio, Red Avenger, Major Power and Count Of Carabass filling out the places in behind, there’s no need to doubt the solidity of the race in question. Back up to his optimum distance here this evening, Dark Magic will more than likely have to navigate a passage from the rear of the field due to his high draw (likely to be dropped out), but he’s shown on more than one occasion that he’s a useful deep-closer at this sort of level and he’s fancied to hit the money at the very least.

TOMMY TAYLOR (NAP) (best price 11-8) shaped with a huge amount of encouragement on his first start for new connections here a month ago and he’s strongly fancied to confirm that promise in a race well within his capabilities.

An infrequent winner for Kevin Ryan, you have to go back to 2017 to find his last success and although he ran some fair races in defeat thereafter, he tended to cut a figure of frustration, sometimes leaving the impression he wasn’t quite putting it all in. More often than not, a horse with his profile is screaming out for a change of scenery to snap out of a rut and that appeared to be the case the way he went through his most recent outing 28 days ago. Off the back of a 55-day break, the son of Mizzen Mast was dropped out the back in order to allow him to settle and finish off his race well and those patient tactics seemed to work wonders as he came home to really good effect down the straight to stay on into a never-nearer second behind the in-form Yuften. Clocking a very good time figure for a horse having only his second start on an all-weather surface, the six-year-old also posted some of the best closing sectionals at the track here this winter and those numbers suggests he’s potentially a very well handicapped individual going forward. A big eye-catcher at Chelmsford when ridden in a similar fashion on his final start in the UK, Johnny Levins’ gelding has bagged a decent draw in order to get a ground-saving run around the inside and providing Donagh O’Connor sits chilly in the saddle and rides his mount with plenty of confidence, he can finally deliver the goods.