Andy Holding's Sunday Racing Tips

SOLSTICIA (best price 9-4) ran out a very impressive winner of a hot maiden over today’s C&D last time out and even though this represents a marked rise in class, Andre Fabre’s filly is fancied to more than hold her own.

A promising runner-up on her debut at Longchamp last September, the daughter of Le Havre reappeared in a period when most of her yard’s runners were just needing the run, so the fact she managed to buck the trend says a good deal about her star quality. Always travelling well at the Oise venue, the lightly-raced three-year-old showed a sparkling turn of foot to readily brush aside a 14-strong field and with the runner-up, Ebaiyra, going on to boost the form subsequently, her performance looks even better than it did in the original analysis. Likely to have improved in the interim period, in-keeping with most of her inmates, Solsticia has the quality to make the huge leap forward required.

A fascinating race in prospect with four highly-promising colts facing the starter and of the quartet, EMISSARY (NAP) (best price 5-4) rates the most intriguing runner of all.

Making his debut in a 1m 1f maiden at Wolverhampton last October, Hugo Palmer’s was one of any number of fancied runners according to the activity in the market, and as it turned out, he ended up coming out of top in pretty impressive style. It was noticeable the pace was very strong from the outset at the Dunstall Park venue and that resulted in the field being well strung out by the finish, which provides even more credence to the overall standard of the race. Understandably a little outpaced and green early on considering it was his debut, the well-bred colt soon settled into a nice rhythm just off the leaders heading down the back straight and by the time the main players had swung for home, he had managed to work himself into a challenging position. Staying on in taking fashion in the straight (his last three furlong splits were all 11 seconds and change), the son of Kingman proved too strong for several more experienced rivals to score in taking fashion and considering his jockey never at any stage had to resort to the whip, his display had to go down as a sparkling one for the future. Half-brother to 2010 Derby winner Workforce, Emissary is fully expected to make into a smart pattern performer as the season progresses and today’s contest looks the ideal starting point.

Obviously, Celestrian looks the main threat having fitness on his side thanks to a smart speed figure himself at Yarmouth two weeks ago, but if the handicapper is somewhere near to being correct with his mark of 88, then it would be disappointing if Emissary doesn’t go way beyond that level at some stage during the campaign.

Amy Murphy’s team appear to be in fine fettle since the restart (4 winners from 23 runners) and having shaped well enough on his return to action, ESPIRIT DE  BAILEYS  (best price 7-2) can continue the good work for the Newmarket handler.

Having his first run on the Flat for 450 days, the son of Le Havre was entitled to need the run and as it turned out, that’s pretty much how it panned out. Still going well enough three out, the eight-year-old could only find the one-pace in the closing stages, but when you considered he was up against several improving types over a distance way short of his best, it wasn’t a bad effort at all. Indeed, the winner, Inclyne, looks a thoroughly progressive filly and the runner-up, Involved, has gone on to win since, thus given the form some substance. Returning to the scene of that fair initial effort and back up in trip, he should be capable of being more competitive in what looks a weaker race on paper