Andy Holding's Tuesday Racing Tips

There’s little doubt Belfast Banter would have won at Cork last time out so well was he going and he looks the one to beat on the evidence of that effort along with his excellent run behind Captain Guinness the time before. Of the rest though, OUTSIDE THE RING w/o Belfast Banter (best price 7-1) makes the most appeal to chase him home based on his fine performance over today’s course last time out and he makes plenty of appeal in the ‘without the favourite’ market.

Placed in point-to-points, Neil McKnight’s gelding has shown some nice promise in useful novice hurdles subsequently and his latest effort is by far and away the best. Applied with the tongue-tie for the first time, the eight-year-old kept on well to finish a creditable runner-up to the useful Opposites Attract in a well-run event over 2m4f and with the numbers from that heat on Boxing Day working out easily the best set of figures on the seven-race card, he clearly ran to a decent standard. Likely to be suited by a drop back in trip given the way he travelled through that contest 33 days ago, his vital track knowledge is sure to stand him in good stead and a similar performance can see him in and around the main players on his return to his local track.

OPPOSITIES ATTRACT (NAP) (best price 9-4) ran out a decisive winner over today’s C&D last time out and he’s strongly fancied to repeat the dose based on that run and his overall levels of form.

Third behind two above-average opponents in the shape of Longhouse Poet and Column Of Fire at Navan the time before, Dermot McLoughlin’s gelding was well-supported to back up that excellent effort here three weeks later and after travelling well throughout, he readily justified his position in the market. Very strong late on, the son of Gold Well posted a smart overall speed figure to put some added gloss on the performance and a run of a similar nature will make him hard to beat at a track that clearly suits.

ZYLAN (best price 11-4) might be the old man of the party, but he he’s certainly proving of late that the fire still burns bright and following another solid effort on his favourite surface here last time out, Roger Fell warrior is fancied to keep his impressive C&D stats of 12111 intact.

Runner-up the in-form Katheefa on his return to the Midland venue a month ago, the son of Kyllachy went one place better on his return visit 12 days later and in doing so, he took the scalp of three progressive opponents. Dropped back a furlong to a trip he hadn’t run over for some time on his latest outing, the eight-year-old covered himself in glory by pressing the very speedy Hareem Queen all the way to the line and that performance very much indicated he remains right on top of his game. Often a smooth traveller off a decent pace, he should be able to cover the pace set by perennial front-runner, Zapper Cass, and as we know he also sees out the trip well, he should turn out to be extremely competitive at the business end.

There’s no denying Tathmeen was a shade unfortunate in how the race panned out against him at Wolverhampton last time out and he has to rate a serious contender back in grade, but at the same time, he hasn’t been missed in the market whereas MULZIM (best price 13-2) seems to have been disregarded despite arriving here with fairly sound credentials. He is worth playing without Tathmeen too. 

An excellent second to track specialist Zapper Cass on his first try over today’s C&D two starts ago, the son of Exceed And Excel went on to perform with even more credit on his return to the Midland venue 12 days later, finishing within hailing distance of the smart pair, National Anthem and Young Tiger, Indeed, had he not been badly hampered in the early strides he may have finished a good deal closer and considering he also had to do all his work up the unfavoured stands’ side rail, his performance deserves upgrading. Better drawn today if the track rides how it has been of late (suiting low numbers in the latter stages of 5f events), the six-year-old gelding should get a nice tow into the contest being housed next to the speedy Red Stripes on the far side and once the stagger begins to unwind after the cutaway, he can make his presence felt over on the middle-to-far-side of the track.

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