Andy Holding's Friday Racing Tips

BALLINTOY HARBOUR (best price 15-4) was just on the periphery of the action in a useful maiden at Thirsk on debut, but even allowing for getting beaten just under three lengths, her performance ended up being a very commendable one based on the numbers the race in question produced and she looks more than good enough to feature heavily in what appears a heat no stronger on paper.

Sent off 33-1 at the Yorkshire track, clearly nothing too much was expected of the daughter of Vadamos, but she ended up defying her position in the market by finishing a relatively close-up fourth, and with seemingly no fluke attached to her effort, there’s every reason to believe she can repeat if not better her performance. Indeed, her closing sectionals from three out compared very favourably with some of the more established older sprinters that raced on the same card and with most of her main rivals this afternoon seemingly nothing special on what they’ve achieved so far on the clock, this looks a fine opportunity for her to get off the mark unless there’s something from the unraced category capable of running huge on debut.

REVICH (best price 9-2) showed signs of a revival at Newmarket last time out and that performance was enough to warrant a small interest in Richard Spencer’s gelding now heading back to a track where he’s gone particularly well in the past. 

A little ring-rusty on his seasonal reappearance in a race that contained the likes of subsequent scorers, Nahaarr, Pogo and Qayser, the son of Requinto jumped over to the July Course for his latest endeavour and although he came away from HQ with no prize money to show for his efforts, he did at least show that he was going in the right direction as far as performance levels were concerned. Keeping on well late on, the four-year-old gelding finished just on the coat tails of the main players and considering the ground wouldn’t have been entirely in his favour, all in all it wasn’t a bad effort under the circumstances. A winner over today’s C&D in the past along with two other commendable displays, he clearly likes the sharp nature of the Roodee and with the blinkers on for the first time in order just to sharpen up his game a touch, Revich should go close from his favourable draw.

GAUNTLET (best price 5-1) failed to get a proper grip of the task at hand on debut at the Naas, but at the same time, he did more than enough to suggest with just normal improvement he could be fully effective in a similar race next time out and he’s taken to give favourite backers plenty to worry about on his second spin.

Sent off a big price for one of Aidan O’Brien’s in a maiden, the son of Galileo was settled in mid-division as his more illustrious stable mate and Derby third Amhran Na Bhfiann cut out strong fractions from the front, but just as the main players turned for home, it was at this point when lack of match practice took its toll. Lugging slightly left under pressure, the imposing colt could only plug on at the one pace inside the final two furlongs, but even so, his overall time figure in finishing a nine-length fourth still worked out well up against what the front two achieved. Likely to have benefitted enormously from that initial effort in terms of fitness and knowhow, Gauntlet should be capable of putting in a more rounded performance and if so, he offers plenty of hope for those of us who believe Gold Maze is worth opposing. 

PEARL BEACH (NAP) (best price 7-4) was given an ultra-confident ride by Tom Queally when scoring readily over today’s C&D 10 days ago and confidence is high that the pair can team up again to repeat the dose in what appears a pretty straightforward task on paper.

Still a maiden prior to shipping up at the Surrey venue, William Knight’s filly was put to sleep at the back of the field with a view to pouncing late and when the pace collapsed rounding the home turn, her pilot just flicked a switch and she was off in a flash. Winning with any amount in hand, the daughter of Footstepsinthesand clearly fell in love with her surroundings on her first visit to this undulating track and with a similar set of circumstances likely to arise this time around, a good run around the inside from stall one (had the same box here last time) should allow her to get there travelling and quicken away in the home straight.