Andy Holding's Saturday Racing Tips

The Welsh Champion Hurdle at Ffos Las was pound-for-pound the best handicap hurdle run so far this season and having run creditably to finish just behind the main players in fifth, MARIO DE PAIL (NAP) (best price 5-2) rates a confident choice to take advantage of this significant drop down in grade. 

A smart novice hurdler last season, winning twice and finishing runner-up as many times, Sam Thomas’ grey was thought good enough by connections to take his chance in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham, but as his 100-1 odds suggested, unfortunately he came up way short of the mark and was pulled up. Returning to the fray after a 222-day break, the son of Blue Bresil went back to the scene of two of his better performances and, on ground considered a little livelier than ideal, he ran about as well as could be expected. Shaping as though the minimum trip – certainly at that level – is an insufficient test nowadays, the five-year-old should be more at home now stepping up to 2m4f and with the forecast soft ground also a big positive as far as he’s concerned, a big run is anticipated hailing from a stable who are going great guns at present.

One of the big handicap chases of the season and it often goes to a horse who goes on to achieve much better things further down the line. Second season chasers also have a fine record in the race down the years and one of those from that category, MISTER FISHER (best price 5-1), looks to have bright prospects of providing Nicky Henderson with a welcome winner in this valuable prize (last won it with Fondmort in 2002). 

Right from the word go, the son of Jeremy has proved to be a natural over fences and following a promising start over two miles at Warwick, he went on to record his first victory in his new discipline when accounting for the smart Good Boy Bobby when upped in trip over today’s (New) Course. A smooth success over Al Dancer set him up nicely for a tilt at the Marsh Chase back over the same C&D next time and although he just missed out on the placings, you couldn’t fault him with his performance levels and general application. Outpaced as the pace cranked up significantly from three out, the six-year-old stayed on strongly all the way to the line and with the time figures – both overall and sectional – strongly suggesting the Grade 1 novice was easily the best of the three races over at the same C&D on the day (including the one won by Simply The Betts), he should be capable of going extremely close providing the ground doesn’t deteriorate too badly during the build up to the race.

Pam Sly has proven over the years she’s a very capable dual purpose trainer and with one of her happy hunting grounds being today’s Yorkshire venue, HAAFAPIECE (best price 11-4) is fancied to provide the Newmarket handler with another notable success. 

Similar to stable mate Fransham, who scored impressively here at the last meeting, the son of Haafhd has bags of speed and that natural pace was seen top good effect towards the backend of last season with victories at Fakenham and Huntingdon. Off the track for 287 days, the seven-year-old made his reappearance in what looked a hot handicap on paper over today’s course and although the race in question didn’t quite pan out the way anticipated, he still came out of the contest with great credit. Beaten four lengths into fourth, he may have finished a good deal closer but for missing out the last two hurdles, but either way, he should prove all the sharper for the run and a repeat of something similar should result in him being a major contender.

Early season bumper winners are usually hard to evaluate due to many of them being slowly run but that isn’t the case where UCANEVER (best price 3-1) is concerned and Anthony Honeyball’s mare can impose her basic speed on her rivals. 

Having her first outing for new connections since leaving Adam West, the daughter of Maxios was an extremely warn order to get the job done at Fontwell following a 258-day break and after travelling like the winner from the start, she duly landed the gamble. Quickening in tremendous fashion once turning for home, the four-year-old put 20 lengths between herself and the rest of the field in a short space of time and with the post-race numbers backing up the visually impression of the display, a similar performance makes her the one to beat despite the early morning lists favouring Elle Est Belle.