Andy Holding's Saturday Racing Tips

The betting strongly suggests the one to be with here is Fox Power, but VIA SERENDIPITY (best price 6-1) appeared to beat the market leader with a bit to spare over the C&D last time out and, at the prices certainly, he rates a fair proposition to uphold the form.

Seemingly improving at the age of six, Stuart Williams’ inmate kicked off the winter campaign with a cosy success at Kempton back in October and although he couldn’t run up to those heights in a hot listed contest on his return visit three months later, it didn’t take him too long to return to winning ways. Dropped in behind the speed in what turned out to be an evenly-run affair here 33 days ago, the son of Invincible Spirit still had a fair bit on his plate as Arcanada and Fox Power kicked for home going past the two pole, but given a couple of liveners to wake him up soon after, he readily picked up his two market rivals to score going away. Likely to be given a similarly patient ride, he should get the strongly run environment he requires to be at his best and he makes plenty of each-way appeal given his morning quotes.

DESERT DOCTOR (best price 9-2) dipped his bread to a fair standard over in Dubai on his last two outings, but he just didn’t have the right sort of qualities to cope with proper dirt specialist Bouchart on each start and he should be much better suited to reverting back to a track where his career stats read 11212.

A stalk and pounce performer rather than a grinder – which is the usual requirements for racing on dirt in Meydan – Ed Walker’s inmate at least proved with those runs in the desert that he remains in decent shape. Prior to his winter holidays, the son of Society Rock signed off with another quality effort at the Dunstall Park venue when runner-up to the improving Reeves over today’s C&D and if he’d received a better rub of the green that day, he may have well prevailed. Winner of this race twelve months ago when delivered with a well-timed challenge, expect the five-year-old to be ridden with a view of closing off his race best of all and if Luke Morris can get the gaps at the right time, the top weight should burst onto the scene late on.

GULLIVER (best price 8-1) is probably better known for his performances over six furlongs, but he’s also shaping as though a longer trip might be required nowadays and he’s fancied to put that theory to the test in this competitive listed prize.

Needing a very strongly-run race and every yard of the trip at Southwell two starts ago, David O’Meara’s gelding proceeded to run a smart time figure at the Midland venue and off the back of that solid performance he was sent on his travels to Doha for his latest effort. After missing the break at the Qatar venue, the six-year-old found himself in a poor position as the field rounded for home, but a strong finish carried past quite a few flagging rivals inside the final furlong and he eventually bagged a creditable fourth place at the line. A winner over seven furlongs in the past, he’s certainly worth another pop at that distance based on his last two performances and he makes plenty of sense from an each-way perspective.

SAINT DE VASSY (NAP) (best price 13-8) was unlucky to bump into a progressive type in the shape of Billingsley here last time out, but with that horse going on to win twice since and now be rated 136, it would be disappointing if Tom Symonds’ inmate didn’t take advantage of his relatively unaffected mark of 123 (ran off 120 last time).

In a race run at a proper clip considering the conditions, the seven-year-old was the only one capable of mixing it with the bold-jumping, powerful-galloping winner and with the time figure pointing strongly towards it being an above-average contest for the track, he clearly lost nothing in defeat. Seemingly well-suited by the minimum trip, the son of Saint Des Saints can be afforded to be aggressively ridden on the basis that he also stays a good deal further, and with jockey on board who is renowned for not wanting to die not knowing, the combination team up for a potentially deadly partnership.