Andy Holding's Wednesday Racing Tips

There’s some solid three-year-old handicap form lines developing over in Ireland, mainly involving the likes of Red Kelly, Delphi and Sonnyboyliston, and having featured heavily against those two progressive colts, both AESOP (best price 5-1) and SIMPLY TRUE (best price 10-1) are worth keeping on side now tackling the older brigade.

The former is probably just pick of the pair based on his effort in the Ulster Derby last time out and although he failed to land a meaningful blow at the main player that day, he did more than enough to suggest he can be a little more competitive when his sights are lowered accordingly. Held up towards the rear in a race that developed into a footrace from three out, Jessica Harrington’s colt could only manage a never-nearer fourth at the line, but given his closing sectionals suggested he’d run well in defeat, he’s clearly still maintaining the progress he’d showed previously when scoring tidily at Leopardstown from subsequent winner Pugin. Coping with the step up in trip well 19 days ago, that particular box is ticked, and with the son of Make Believe fitted with cheekpieces for the first time in order to keep his mind focused on the job, he should easily be good enough to give another solid account.

The latter had just been on the periphery of the action against some of the better quality handicaps so far this season, but given a suitable opportunity at Naas last time out, he grabbed his chance with both hands. Staying on well in the latter stages to fend off the late challenge of the well-fancied Lord Park (had previously run well behind Sonnyboyliston), Andrew Oliver’s gelding proved his run at Galway previously wasn’t a true reflection of his ability and having won on his only previous visit to today’s track with some give in the ground, everything looks set fair for another bold bid.

JAMES WATT (NAP) (best price 13-2) shaped a good deal better than his finishing position suggested over today’s C&D last time out and he’s given another chance to make amends in this similar race on his return visit.

Gradually finding his feet since joining new connections from Michael Bell’s stable, the son of Morpheus was given a typically patient ride at the Yorkshire venue 19 days ago and although the form book suggests he never figured, it may have been a different story had he obtained a clearer run. Noted going well around the two-furlong pole, the four-year-old proceeded to run into a bit of cul-de-sac as horses were falling back in his lap and, as a result, he ended up having to sit and suffer for the remainder of the journey. However, given the way he hit the line once out on the clear, it’s easy to believe he would have had some sort of say in the eventual outcome with a better rub of the green and with Paul Midgely’s gelding clearly in the kind of form to take advantage of his current handicap mark of 73 based on recent evidence (has been as high as 88 in the past), he makes plenty of each-way appeal at the morning odds.

FIVE HELMETS (best price 9-1) was unlucky to bump into two useful handicappers clearly still on the up at Ayr last time out, but at least his performance at the Scottish track went some way to erase the memories of his opening gambit of the season a month earlier and he’s fancied to keep going in the right direction now back at the scene of some of his more fruitful efforts in the past.

Down the field on his first run for 270-days when not staying the 1m4f trip at Newmarket, the son of Helmet ran far better than his 50-1 odds implied 15 days ago back over his optimum distance in what looked strong handicap beforehand and as the speed figure of the race in question backed up the view it was an above-average race for the grade, it’s easy to draw to the conclusion he’s back to something close to his best. Returning to the scene of a course that has seen him rack up form figures of 1412 in recent times, Iain Jardine’s gelding is likely to be at home on the Westwood better than most of his more fancied rivals and hailing from a yard who has just struck a nice bit of form in recent weeks, he could provide his Carrutherstown handler with even more cheer.