Andy Holding's Saturday Racing Tips

DALI MAIL (best price 10-3) would probably still remain unbeaten over fences but for falling at the fourth last at Ayr last time out and providing that tumble hasn’t left any lasting effect, Donald Whillans’ grey can make amends at a track where he’s enjoyed a bit of success in the past. Winner of a bumper here back in 2018, the son of Satri has been pretty lightly-raced ever since – suggesting he’s a bit fragile – but when he has made it to the track, he’s always shown a fair degree of ability. Off the mark at the first time of asking over fences at Newcastle in December, the feature of that performance was his sound technique so it came as something of a surprise to see him hit the deck at the Scottish venue 41 days ago. He was, however, going like the winner at the time and with similar testing conditions once again in his favour, hopefully, he can get back on track.

Some nice, improving novices on show in this Grade 2 contest none more so than CHEDDLETON (NAP)(best price 4-1) and with him being only one of two course winners in the field, he’s fancied to put that solid track knowledge to good use.

A cracking runner-up to the smart Proschema at Wetherby on hurdling debut in November, Jennie Candlish’s gelding made light work his opposition at Bangor a month later and then it was on to a sterner test over today’s course last time out. Well-backed to lower the colours of previous easy Sedgefield winner Jabbaar, the son of Shirocco readily justified his position in the market with a commanding performance and with today’s stiffer test likely to bring about even further improvement from this strappy chasing type, he can win the battle of several last-time-out winners.

Jumping has prevented STONIFIC (best price 10-3) from getting off the mark in his last two starts, but providing it all goes smoothly in that department this afternoon, there’s every chance he will make up for those lapses of concentration.

Going well when biting the dust three out at Newcastle two starts ago, David O’Meara’s gelding looked to be coming with a well-timed challenge at Bangor last time out when he once again took a liberty with the final flight. By no means a terrible jumper despite those two falls, hopefully, he will have been plenty of practice on the schooled ground just to unclutter his mind and there’s little doubt he has a race of this nature well within his capabilities based on what we’ve seen of him so far to date over hurdles.