Andy Holding's Friday Racing Tips

CEDAR CAGE (best price 7-4) represents a stable renown for improving his three-year-old’s in their second season and with this son of Golden Horn likely to turn out to be another cab off the rank for his wily Newmarket handler, he’s fancied to carry on where his left off his last campaign. Eye-catching on his first two starts, Sir Mark Prescott’s gelding was well-backed to get the job done at the third time of asking at Southwell last November and after travelling well throughout a well-run seven-furlong contest, he readily justified his position in the market. A big, rangy type who covers plenty of ground, he looks just the type who will do better with time on his side and with today’s trip likely to bring about even more improvement to his game, Cedar Cage rates a confident choice to keep his stable’s decent start to the season going in the right direction.

Tom Clover is about as hot as a Rita Ora photoshoot at present with six winners in the last week and the Newmarket handler has another chance of adding to his winning tally with ALIANNE (best price 9-2) in this seven-furlong handicap.

No shorter than 25-1 on all her three starts as a juvenile, clearly there was no great expectation attached to her chances in those well-contested maidens, but at the same time, she shaped with plenty of promise each time. Indeed, her latest outing at Kempton back in January certainly caught the eye when she was noted making some solid late headway against the track bias and it’s that run which offers plenty of encouragement for her step into handicap company for the first time. Handed a rating of 65 after that performance at the Sunbury venue, the daughter of Worthadd certainly looks to have been given plenty of chance by the assessor and with no issues regarding fitness based on the displays by all her stable mates since the resumption of racing, she rates a solid each-way proposition at the morning prices.

MOLL DAVIS (NAP) (best price 15-8) has to go down as one of the unluckiest losers of the season so far on her return to action at Newcastle last time out and she’s taken to make amends for that unmitigated disaster 10 days ago and provide her handler George Scott with an overdue success.

Held up well off the pace at the Gosforth Park venue, the daughter of Kingman was noted making smooth headway as the race began to unfold at the three-furlong pole and just as she was about to lay down what looked a potent challenge, the door got slammed in her face. With Hayley Turner having to sharply dab on the brake pedal, the four-year-old filly lost vital ground and momentum at that juncture and it was a setback from which she could never recover. Given the way she finished off her race, however, it’s not difficult to come to the conclusion she would have won with a clear run and it is also easy to see why connections are keen to get her out in this sort of grade again while she’s in such good form. It’s also worth pointing out that she was equally unfortunate not to land a valuable and competitive fillies’ handicap at Glorious Good wood last season and she went on to make up for that hard luck story at Doncaster a few weeks later. Best when switched off and relaxing at the back of the pack, hopefully they go the kind of gallop that will play into her strengths and with the rainfall that has fallen in the last 24 hours also seen as a huge positive, everything looks set fair for a bold bid under top weight.

As the history book suggests, Aidan O’Brien is very much the trainer to note in Ireland’s first Classic of the season having tutored 11 colts’ to victory previously and the Ballydoyle maestro looks to have another strong hand in this season’s renewal sending LOPE Y FERNADEZ (best price 5-1) and Armoury to post with leading claims.

The pair both have similar credentials and a good deal in common having seen the backside of last season’s champion two-year-old, Pinatubo, several times, but it’s the former who makes the most appeal at the morning odds on account of him having plenty of potential over today’s new trip. Sent off 5-4 favourite to land last season’s Chesham at Royal Ascot, the son of Lope De Vega ultimately proved no match for Godolphin’s star on the day, but the mere fact he was so strong in the market pointed towards a colt who was held in the very highest regard at home. Unable to build on his solid effort at the Berkshire venue as connections’ may have hoped, he did, however, managed to land the Round Tower Stakes over today’s course in August, beating his 11 opponents with his superior stamina kicking in late on over the six-furlong trip. Outpaced under faster conditions in the Middle Park on his final outing, this lengthy colt is said to have done well over the winter and progressed even further in recent weeks and a big run is anticipated in the hands of stable jockey Seamie Heffernan.

One who could easily outrun his odds given the form of his stable is FREE SOLO (best price 16-1) and for that reason he’s worth a small interest at the much bigger price. Promising on his debut at Naas against two smart colts, Jessica Harrington’s inmate was seen to much better effect on his next and what turned out to be his final start of the campaign at Leopardstown, and even though the bare form of that race at the Dublin track leaves him with plenty to find on the book, he looks the type who will improve significantly for a stiffer examination. A tall, imposing son of Showcasing, Free Solo is one to keep on side whatever his fate this evening.