Andy Holding's Wednesday Racing Tips

Ever since Trueshan won the big stayers prize on Champions Day at Ascot, Alan King has gone on an extremely good rim of results – highlighted by three winners last weekend – and in the shape of NOTACHANCE (best price 7-1), the Barbury Castle handler has another great chance of adding further spice to the boiling pot. 

Fairly progressive in his first season chasing, he worked his way through the ranks from an opening mark of 119 to where he stands currently on 132, the highlight of his four runs coming when he captured a competitive novices’ handicap at Exeter this time last year. Accounting for many similarly promising young chasers in a fast time at the Kennford venue ensured he was a popular choice in the betting on his next two starts at Newbury but he sadly failed to deliver the goods, on each occasion just falling short of the mark and having to settle for bit-part roles. The latest of those two performances at the Berkshire venue left the impression he didn’t really respond to the first-time cheekpieces as well as anticipated and with the headgear left off today, the son of Mahler has bright prospects of going well at the first time of asking, just as he did after a long break last season.

A pretty modest handicap to begin the card and with most of the 14-strong line-up having a fairly exposed profile, it wouldn’t come as the biggest shock in the world to see SIDESHOW BOB (best price 33-1) play a more significant role than her morning odds suggest.

Sheila Lavery’s filly had showed next to nothing in three starts on the turf so it was understandable to see her languishing as one of the wild outsiders for a useful maiden here 19 days ago, but she ended up easily outrunning her odds to finish a respectable sixth. Held up towards the rear after a slow beginning, she still had plenty on her plate as the field turned for home, so it was encouraging to see her finish off her race in the manner she did to get within hailing distance of the likes of Vermilion Creek and Bluebeard’s Castle and several others all rated in the 80’s. Given a mark of 64 after that useful effort, the daughter of Big Bad Bob now has to prove her worth in handicaps from this point onwards but at least she’s starting at a fairly low level so hopefully she won’t be totally out of place.

JACK BERRY HOUSE (best price 9-2) shaped with conspicuous promise on his first outing for 100 days here a few weeks ago and with today’s extra yardage likely to play more into his strengths, John McConnell’s gelding can finally reward his new connections.

A dual winner on an all-weather surface for George Boughey in the UK, the son of Harbour Watch has clearly taken a while to bed into his new surroundings but a return to a trip more in-keeping with his overall profile saw a massive upswing in his fortunes and there looks no obvious reason why he couldn’t build on that promising effort from 19 days ago. Dropped out from his wide draw, the four-year-old has more behind than in front as the field swung for home but finishing off his race best of all down the wide outside, he ran hard all the way to the line to claim a creditable runner-up spot behind the in-form Scherzando. In terms of his overall time and backend splits, the numbers suggested he’d run somewhere close to a PB and with the jockey switch to Colin Keane also seen as a massive plus, he makes plenty of appeal. 

WHATHARM (NAP) (best price 3-1) cut a hole in the wind when scoring here last week and despite a slightly tricky draw being a little cause for concern, he’s fancied to press home his qualities on a surface that really suits. 

A tall, rangy gelding with a long stride, it’s no coincidence that his four career victories have come on a terrain where his fluent action hasn’t been impeached and with his success here seven days taking his track form to 3-3, its little wonder he remains one to keep on side. Looking in need of the run over an inadequate six-furlongs on soft ground at the Curragh after a 300-day break, the son of Canford Cliffs proved to be a totally different proposition with that initial run under his belt and with the numbers he posted when disposing of a useful field reading extremely favoured both in terms of the rest of last week’s card and tonight’s similar opponents, it would be disappointing if he couldn’t maintain his unbeaten record at the Co Lough venue.