Andy Holding's Wednesday Racing Tips

Betting on claimers isn’t the wisest strategy on a long term basis, but this particular contest does appear to have a few angles worth exploiting and for that reason, TURBO COMMAND (best price 5-1) and CRYSTAL DAWN (best price 17-2) are offered up as the two most likely to take advantage of several negatives attached to their main rivals. Raphael is the highest rating, so natural has been chalked up favourite, but as most of his best form has come over further than today’s seven-furlong trip, he looks a shade vulnerable. Similar comments also apply to second favourite Comin’ Through, so 3-1 appears plenty short enough for him, while Tony The Gent struggles to get his head in front and has been handed a bad draw and Cyrus Dailin has to overcome a 130-day layoff.

The former, however, does arrive here in a decent shape having won over the C&D two starts ago and he followed that sound performance up with another creditable effort in a very hot handicap over the same trip last week. Up against a whole host of in-form rivals, Micky Halford’s gelding never really bettered his eventual finishing position during that well-run affair, but at the same time, he kept on strongly all the way to the line and a repeat of a similar level of form should see him right in the thick of the action on his return visit.

The latter may look as though her form has dipped since winning twice over the C&D earlier in the campaign, but there have been mitigating circumstances attached to her recent displays. Firstly, Gavin Cromwell’s mare got upset in the stalls three outing ago and on her last two starts she has been posted out in the car park in races where the time figure has suggested she had no chance of making up the ground given away as a result of being dropped out towards the rear. She did, however, keep on stoically to finish seventh in a mile better race than the one she faces today 19 days ago and when you compare her sectionals to those clocked by Turbo Command over the same C&D and hour later, there’s no way she should be chalked up around the 9-1 mark now she has been handed a much more favourable draw (amazingly was 20-1 with some firms yesterday).

ACTAEA (best price 8-1) produced an altogether more promising performance here second time up than on her debut and it wouldn’t take a huge amount of improvement for her to bustle up some of her main markets rivals based on that effort 21 days ago.

Given time to find her stride after being dropped out from her wide draw, Heather Main’s filly turned for home with plenty on her plate at the Sunbury venue, but by the time she’d hit the line, she ended up making giant inroads into those towards the front of the pack and it’s a performance that has to go down as a significantly upgradable one. Having had two runs around today’s track, she should be more clued up than most and with a draw that should allow her to receive a more positive ride, the daughter of Adaay makes quite a bit of each-way appeal.

DRAKENSBERG (best price 2-1) won in the style of a horse right on top of his game here last week and even though he drops down in trip on his return to the Co Louth venue, he’s fancied to offset that slight negative and score again.

Really unlucky the last time he raced over today’s trip back in October, Tony Martin’s gelding finally got his due rewards for some consistent efforts in the interim with a smooth success over 1m4f five days ago. Always going well in the hands of Siobhan Rutledge, the son of Samum responded well to the promising apprentice who finessed him into the business end of the race without having to get in any way serious in the saddle and likely to adapt a similar riding style in what appears to be a much weaker race on paper, expect the pair to arrive on the scene with a well-timed challenge late in the piece.