Andy Holding's Friday Racing Tips

ICONIC MUDDLE (best price 7-1) is still awaiting his first win over hurdles, but following sound placed efforts against some useful opponents this season, including one over today’s course, Gary Moore’s gelding can finally be rewarded for his consistency.

A staying-on third in a competitive novice hurdle over today’s course following a 224-day break, the son of Sixties Icon shaped as though he’d be seen to better effect over further and that proved to be the case next time when he chased hone the useful Cat Tiger over 2m4f at Plumpton. Running in his first handicap off a mark of 115 at Sandown last time out, the seven-year-old grey made a decent fist of things finishing a creditable third to the all-the-way winner, Stick With Bill, despite not really enjoying the ground, but with today’s better conditions set to suit, he should give another solid account.

MISS HERITAGE (NAP) (best price 5-2) won pulling the proverbial cart at Huntingdon last time out and with testing conditions still very much in her favour, the in-form mare can continue on an upward curve.

In retrospect, Lucy Wadham’s made probably found the sharp nature of Fakenham’s tight track on good ground an insufficient test two starts ago, but given a deeper surface, like she encountered at the Cambridgeshire venue last time out, the outcome was a completely different story. Always travelling in a lower gear to the rest, the daughter of Pour Moi had little trouble pulling 30-odd lengths clear of her rivals in a short space of time and such was her superiority, she was able to coast home after the last. If the forecast is correct, the already soft ground should ease even further as a band of rain moves in from the west during the day and with her form figures on ground softer or worse reading 1211, there’s a good chance she will be adding to those appealing stats given her current wellbeing.

Joseph O’Brien holds all the aces here saddling both SAN ANDREAS (best price 5-2) and No Needs Never and while there’s always the danger of coming unstuck in a situation like this where having the inside track from the yard is probably an advantage, the former easily makes the most appeal based on his progressive profile and last-time-out speed figure.

Runner-up to the useful War Hero in a competitive seven-furlong handicap two starts ago, the son of Dark Angel was well-backed to break his all-weather duck when upped in trip last time out and having made his intentions clear right from the start, he simply ran his seven rivals into submission. In doing so, the improving four-year-old clocked a very smart speed figure in scoring by an easy six lengths and it came as no surprise that the handicapper saw fit to bump him up to a mark of 100. Clearly benefitting greatly from a change in tactics, it will be a surprise if he wasn’t ridden in a similar aggressive fashion on his return visit, especially as he’s now dropping back down a furlong, and if he does manage to get loose on the lead, it will take a decent one to lower his colours down the straight.