Andy Holding's Wednesday Racing Tips

OLA BONITA (NAP) (best price 4-1) ran a race full of promise on her debut at Navan two weeks ago and she’s strongly fancied to build on that initial display and prove a far more potent threat in this similar contest here this afternoon.

Unfancied at the Co Meath venue, hence her 33-1 starting price, the chances of the daughter of Zebedee causing a shock went out of the window in a few strides as she was extremely slowly away and although she had made up a little bit of ground to sit further up the field by halfway, she still had plenty on her plate. Coming home in pretty powerful fashion from two out, however, she gave out the sort of signs to suggest she would have been a massive player in the outcome of the race had she started on terms and with that viewpoint used as the blueprint for today’s assessments, she clearly has a great chance to get off the mark if using that initial performance as a springboard. Moreover, not only was the overall time figure good for a race of that nature, her closing sectionals were the best on the straight track 14 days ago and using the third that day, Na Blianta Bio, as a guide, she looks overpriced in comparison to Jim Bolger’s filly. Additionally, the runner-up, Illetas, has gone on to boost the form with a win at Navan yesterday and she also hails from a yard who had a nice winner at Tipperary last Friday. Drawn next to where all the fancied horses are located, the three-year-old filly should get a nice tow into the business end of the race down the middle to nearside (Mokhalad won from stall 16 of 16 here on Saturday) and on the evidence of what we saw of her first time out, just a decent break is all it will take for her to be a massive contender for main honours.

The race won by Walkonby over today’s course was well advertised by the runner-up, Kipps, at Royal Ascot, and having shaped better than his finishing position suggested that day, BUCEPHALUS (best price 11-2) rates a strong choice to show significant improvement. Also take the 1/1 in the top three finish market. 

Promising in two novice events towards the backend of last season, Ed Walker’s colt began life in handicap company off a workable mark of 80 at the Merseyside venue and although he could only manage fifth of the 10 runners, he did more than enough to offer plenty of hope for the future. Making his challenge when going well at the two-furlong marker, the son of Soldier Hollow found himself pinned down the inside fence on the unfavourable part of the track and as the main players ended up acting out the finish towards the middle of the course, he could only keep on at the one-pace. That said, his slightly tepid finishing effort compared to several others could have been down to some of the early exuberance he displayed following a 215-day break, but with the fizz out of his system and a step up in trip likely to suit, this lightly-raced three-year-old is expected to come into his own.

MUTADAFFEQ (best price 3-1) arrives here in excellent heart having landed an ultra-competitive handicap at the Curragh recently and he’s fancied to carry over that same level of form to hurdles, a discipline for which he’s not fully exposed.

Showing brave battling qualities to get the better of the strongly-fancied Jerandme at the Co Kildare venue, Gavin Cromwell’s gelding confirmed his current wellbeing by backing up his previous success over fences at Clonmel prior to lockdown. Although he was slightly disappointing up until that juncture, most of his modest performances could be put down to the soft or heavy ground he encountered during the depths of winter and with today’s conditions likely to be ideal as far as he is concerned, the examination over 2m4f should prove well within his range. Moreover, he comes from a yard whose horses are all running well at present (2 winners and 13 places from their last 28 runners) and having dropped back down to a mark similar to the one which saw him account for the useful Popong at Cork this time last year, it would come as little surprise to see him repeat the dose.