Andy Holding's Saturday Racing Tips

A quality-looking nursery with several potentially extremely well-treated juveniles on show, none more so than DUBAI HONOUR (best price 11-4) and NORTHERN EXPRESS (best price 4-1) and they are worth playing against the field accordingly.

The former finally got off the mark at the third time of asking at Haydock a couple of weeks ago and in doing so, William Haggas’ colt clocked a very smart speed figure in winning with quite a bit of authority. Showing his appreciation for some give in the ground at the Merseyside venue, the son of Pride Of Dubai impressed how well he disposed of a competitive field without having go to the bottom of the well and with the strong possibility of even more to come, today’s galloping track should see him go close to defying top weight.

The latter was his own worst enemy when getting beaten at a short price at Ayr last time out, but that loss means he lines up here today off a mark he will surely leave well behind sooner rather than later and he’s fancied to prove that point in hopefully a more conventionally run affair. Wildly impressive both visually and on the clock when he came from a long way back at Beverley on debut, Michael Dods’ colt was understandably all the rage to follow up at the Western meeting a few weeks ago, but having pulled extremely hard off slow early fractions, his finishing effort ended up being undermined. On the evidence of what we’ve seen of him so far, the son of Zoffany has a high cruising which will likely to be seen to good effect in strongly-run races, so providing the tempo is more honest from the start here today (Classic Lord and Galah likely to make it a fair test), this classy-looking juvenile should have little excuse – other than failing to handle the track – of not being competitive off a mark of just 82.

A stellar renewal of one of the preeminent two-year-old races of the season and despite the National Stakes winner, Thunder Moon, holding solid claims form claims, WEMBLEY (best price 11-1) rates a better value alternative in his bid park his name alongside many previous winners of this race for the Ballydolye operation.

Seemingly tilting at windmills after winning just a small race at Roscommon two starts ago, Aidan O’Brien’s colt was probably ridden with a view to pick up the pieces at the Co Kildare venue 27 days ago, but as it turned out, if he’d been positioned more prominently through the early stages, he may have walked away with the prize. While everyone talked up how good Thunder Moon was for getting himself out of a hole, a quick revisit back at the race will reveal the son of Galileo was the last off the bridle in that Group 1 and as he was also noted making large inroads into the winner’s advantage close home, it’s easy to make a decent case for him at almost four times the price of his old rival in their rematch. Moreover, he will be less inconvenienced by the soft underfoot conditions than most and in a race where there has the whiff of a shock in store, he looks one of the more likely candidates from that bracket.

A maximum field set to go to post for this traditional end of season marathon, but despite the head scratching nature of the 2m2f event at first glance, the claims of NOT SO SLEEPY (best price 9-1) and LYNWOOD GOLD (best price 14-1) provide more cause for optimism than might ordinarily be the case.

The former looks one of the most obvious starting points having finished a creditable fourth in this race last year and when you consider what happened to him in the early portion of the race, it’s even more incredible that he managed to finish in the money. Lit up and extremely keen during the first mile or so, Hughie Morrison’s gelding was still tanking along approaching the bushes and it was only at this point that he started to run out of gas. Keeping on bravely all the way to the line, the son of Beat Hollow only went under by six lengths, and when you consider of all the fancied horses that were well beaten that day having had a much smoother passage, it just shows what sort of engine he has under the bonnet. Transferring all that natural ability forward to a glittering season over hurdle throughout the winter, the eight-year-old picked up where he left off when making a successful return to action at Pontefract last time out and given his victory came over an inadequate trip of 1m4f, he clearly arrives here in excellent heart. Nicely draw in stall 4, hopefully his new pilot Graham Lee can get his mount to settle in behind the pace in the early stages, just like he did at the Yorkshire venue 16 days ago, and if so, Not So Sleepy has a big opportunity to provide his handler with his second Cesarewitch victory in recent times following Sweet Selection’s win in 2016.

The latter has been plying his trade against some of the very best stayers over on home soil in recent times and he also has a profile to suggest he should turn out to be a massive player. Three excellent performances at the Curragh were followed by an even better effort when third to the massively improved Princess Zoe at Galway back in August from a bad draw and considering what the winner has gone on to achieve (won a Group 1 since), it’s little wonder connections have been keen to protect his mark of 91 in the interim. A recent run over hurdles should have served the purpose of keeping the juices flowing and it must be significant that the son of Mastercraftsman comes over here instead of staying on home soil to contest the Irish version at his happy hunting ground at the Curragh the day after.

For those of you who may wish to tinker around with some exotic combination forecasts, Jukebox Jive is another worth considering from a yard more than capable of readying one after a break. Indeed, Gavin Cromwell’s landed a big pot at Navan towards the backend of last season after a long break and along with Lynwood Gold, it surely has to be significant that connections have gone to the trouble of bringing him over to the UK rather than stay put.

It seems inexplicable that SIR PYSCHO (best price 7-1) managed to get beaten by the likes of Nordano and Repetitio over today’s course on his hurdling debut considering what he went on to achieve during the remainder of the campaign, but now likely to be a more switched on and physically developed individual, Paul Nicholls’ gelding can continue from where he left off on ground and over a trip that should see him in a good light.

Since that loss a year ago, the son of Zoffany worked his way through the juvenile ranks to end up contesting the Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham festival and even though things didn’t quite work out for him on the day, he still came out of the race with his reputation intact. Although he would probably enjoy softer ground conditions in an ideal world, he does have plenty of smart form on a better surface and hailing from yard that has traditionally hit the ground running at this two-day meeting, Paul Nicholls’ gelding should give a god account.

ZEFFERINO (best price 6-1) wasn’t quite good enough to make an impact in a quality 1m2f handicap against some smart three-year0olds last time out but as the time figure suggested the leading players were trapping along at a right old rate of knots, Martin Bosely’s gelding is certainly worth more than a second look in a race a good more palatable in terms of opposition. Held up towards the rear in what turned out to be a very strongly run affair 20 days ago, the son of Frankel stayed on well enough without threatening the likes of Global Art and El Salvaje, but considering that pair seem miles ahead of their current marks – as the latter proved back here next time – it’s little wonder he failed to get to grips with those fresher legs over a trip which probably stretched him to the limit. Back over his optimum distance of a mile and on a mark which saw him score twice over the C&D this time last year, the six-year-old chestnut looks primed to repeat the dose with so much in his favour.