Andy Holding's Monday Racing Tips

JAMES PARK WOODS (best price 9-4) built on the promise he displayed at Wolverhampton the time before with a solid performance at Pontefract last week and with the cheekpieces on again, the son of Australia can finally get off the mark for current connections. 

A wide-margin winner on his final start for Ralph Beckett over a year ago, the four-year-old has taken a while to find that level of form, but the key to the performance at the Midland and the one six days ago was soft ground, and with the conditions likely to be in his favour yet again, it’s hard to see him not going close. Indeed, his closing work off the back of strong fractions at the Yorkshire proved above-average for the grade and with a nice draw smack down the middle of the track, some early cover before being brought with his challenge late can reap maximum rewards.

GODDESS OF FIRE (best price 9-1) has been in a rich vein of form for quite some time now and she looks booked to go well again back at a track where she’s enjoyed a good bit of success in the past. 

Five times John Ryan’s filly has showed up at the Midland venue and with her stats reading 31142, it’s clear she has a soft spot for the quick tapeta surface. On her latest visit, the daughter of Toronado was a creditable runner-up to the hugely-improved Alpine Mistral and considering her conqueror is now rated in the mid-80’s, it shows just what she was up against that day. Since then, the three-year-old landed the competitive legends race at Doncaster’s St Leger meeting before going onto chase home Dashing Roger at Yarmouth, form which has been franked by the winner subsequently. Usually ridden from the rear, expect her to be dropped in early before being brought with telling challenge late in the piece.

A’SHAMARDI (NAP) (best price 11-4) has looked a totally different proposition since being gelded in August and following a confidence-boosting victory at Lingfield last time out, he arrives here in top shape and ready to continue his progress. 

Down the field in his first two starts on turf, Simon and Ed Crisford’s gelding’s attentions were focused on the all-weather and albeit he got beaten 19 lengths on his tapeta debut here a month ago, he shaped a good deal better than the bare result. In a race run at a searching gallop, the son of Shamardal was noted doing some sterling late work to finish a creditable fourth and with the numbers suggesting he’s been involved in a contest above average for the grade, a mark of 59 was considered good enough to see him sent off 3-1 favourite for his latest encounter at the Surrey venue. Racing in his first handicap, up in trip and with the visor on for the first time, the three-year-old always looked likely to he was going to justify the gamble and with the third, seventh and eleventh going on to win or finish runner-up next time, the form is already beginning to take shape. Unexposed and with the blinkers replacing the previous change of headgear, even a further rise in the ratings may not be enough to prevent his continuous climb up the ladder.