Andy Holding's Friday Racing Tips

TRANCHEE (best price 13-2) looked all over the winner at Haydock last week until the late burst of Young Fire came and picked his pocket but as that effort was another solid one in terms of pure form and speed figures, he’s very much afforded another chance to make amends. 

Runner-up to River Nymph in a hot contest at Newbury previously, David Loughnane’s gelding was well-backed to go one place at better at the Merseyside venue a month later and all bar the eventual winner who simply jumped out of the clouds in the latter stages, he did everything to justify his position in the market. Seemingly better off seven days ago by being ridden just off the speed rather than the gung-ho approached often associated with his previous efforts, hopefully the son of War Front will adopt similar tactics here this afternoon over a course that complements horses who go light-out from the start and if so, he has all the right equipment to have a huge say in the final outcome.

A cracking renewal of this Group 2 for two-year-olds and although the home contingent is well represented by the likes Sacred and The Lir Jett, it would come as no surprise if Irish raiders FRENETIC (best price 11-2) and MEASURE OF MAGIC (best price 16-1) had a large say in the argument. 

The former has been plying her trade at the very highest level all season long and on the three times out of her five career starts when she’s encountered genuine fast ground, she’s proven she’s as good as anything over on home soil. After suffered a couple of toe-curling defeats at the hands of smart fillies Aloha Start and Miss Amulet, Ger Lyons’ filly bounced back to her best when making all the running at the Curragh last time out and with the form and time figure pretty much on-par with the majority of the better fancied horses here this afternoon, a repeat should put her right bang in the mix. 

Although behind her old rival at Naas two starts ago, the latter still came out of that contest with her head held high and as subsequent events have transpired, the form of that Marwell Stakes is about as good as it gets regards five-furlong juvenile fillies. Well-fancied to make an impact in the Ballyhane Stakes back at the same track next time, the combination of soft ground, a stiff six furlongs and being drawn on the wrong side of the track all contributed to her demise, but it’s worth pointing out that nothing travelled better for nine tenths of the journey, so her effort in defeat was a good deal better than the bare result suggests. Going back to her Down Royal victory over subsequent Lowther winner, Miss Amulet, and that was one of the few times when she got her ideal conditions over a sharp five-furlongs and with most of the fancied/speedier horses drawn towards the nearside, Johnny Murtagh’s filly looks poised to easily outrun her morning odds from stall nine. 

SURREY PRIDE (NAP) (best price 2-1) clocked a big speed figure when scoring in game fashion at Newbury last time out and with today’s ground holding up nice and favourably to be on the easy side of good, Joseph Tuite’s gelding can follow up and continue his progression. 

A winner towards the backend of last season with some cut in the ground, the son of Lope De Vega shaped as though he needed his first two outings of the new campaign and cobwebs well and truly blown away, he was able to raise his game to another level at the Berkshire venue. Always moving sweetly in behind a strong pace, the three-year-old quickened up well to join the leaders approaching the final furlong before finding plenty for pressure to out-battled the useful HMS President close home. Being as the race was so good on the numbers, it’s been pleasing to see the form work out so well since with the likes of Badenscoth and Torochia winning since and with today’s contest likely to be well-run courtesy of Molinari and Alibaba in the line-up, everything should set up perfectly for this improving performer. 

LAWAHED (best price 11-4) was heavily involved in what turned out to be an exceptionally strong speed figure for a fillies’ handicap at York last time out and providing she’s suffering no lasting effect from that huge effort, she easily has the beating of today’s field if repeating the same standard. 

An easy winner of a maiden previously at Haydock, connections probably felt as though that had to try and adopt similar tactics on the Knavesmire 22 days ago, but as it turned out, that stance ended up back-firing on William Haggas’ filly in the final reckoning. Ridden up to race handy early, the daughter of Invincible Spirit ended up hocking horns with several others who wanted a piece of the action in the hottest part of the race so by the final furlong, she was racing on fumes and didn’t have anything left in the tank when the more patiently-ridden Amber Storm came tootling alone from the rear to claim the spoils late on. That said, it was still a fair effort by this lightly-raced three-year-old who should at the very least have learnt plenty from that ground-breaking experience and even though the blinkers going on for the first-time is a bit of a head-scratcher, hopefully she will end up having far too much class.