Andy Holding's Friday Racing Tips

The combination of the drop back to the minimum trip and bumping into a well-handicapped rival at Hereford last time out prevented WINDS OF FIRE (best price 4-1) from following up his previous success at Sedgefield, but he should find today’s task a good deal more realistic and he’s fancied to keep his good run of form going in the right direction.

A stayer up to 1m6f on the Flat when trained by Charlie Appleby, the son of Kitten’s Joy has taken a while to find his feet for current connections during his new vocation but he now seems to be really hitting his straps based on recent evidence. Runner-up to the progressive Sehayli at Hereford three starts ago, he duly found compensation when stepped up a full half a mile at the Durham venue next time out and given how strong he was at the finish that day, it was surprise to see him asked to race back over two miles a month later. That said, he still made a bold fist of things by pushing the well-treated The Mick Preston all the way to the line, and with the time figure and subsequent form of the race upheld by the third, Evan Williams’ gelding is clearly in the kind of shape to back up the view that today’s trip may well bring about further improvement.

A tricky race to solve and to price up in many respects because the current form and ratings of some just don’t married up, so the wisest policy is to stay loyal to a couple who at least bring solid C&D performances to the party, namely GRANDMASTER FLASH (best price 4-1) and CONSTRUCT (best price 10-1).

The former was given way too much to do when ridden by an inexperienced conditional on his penultimate outing and he’s probably better judged on his previous effort over tonight’s two-mile journey when a short head runner-up to Irradiate back in 2019. Unsuited by the drop back to 1m2f here last time out, Joseph O’Brien’s gelding should be more suited to racing over a trip that saw him finish a creditable fifth in the big amateur rider’s contest behind Princess Zoe at the Galway festival and he would only have to run somewhere close to that level of form to a big player in tonight’s much weaker event.

The latter technically has a bit to find on official ratings, but at least we know where we stand with John McConnell’s gelding in terms of reliable C&D form and that has to count for something over the pure weights and measures. Placed in three straight handicaps over 1m4f, the son of Maxios finally got his due rewards for his consistency when upped in trip when last seen and the fact he managed to outstay the likes of Bold Approach and Blue Shadow in the process, says a good deal about his overall progression. Given plenty of time to recover from those exertions early in the winter campaign, this big, scopey unit will hopefully return to action in the sort of shape that will allow to easily outrun his morning odds.

ABLAH (best price 15-2) hasn’t been seen out since disappointing slightly here back in December, but as there were valid excuses to be made on that occasion, it could be prudent to afford her an opportunity she remains an upwardly mobile filly.

The daughter of Air Force Blue clearly has her quirks, hence the headgear tinkering on her last four starts, but that hasn’t prevented her from gathering a fair body of work in that period and she also seems to have taken really well to tonight’s surface. A creditable fourth on her first outing at the Co Louth venue considering she was drawn out on the wing over five furlongs, a better draw and step up in trip brought about an instant return to her fortunes when she landed a competitive 13-runner nursery in some style. Once again housed out in the cheap seats when returning to the same C&D last time out, she gave away too much ground in the early stages after being forced to drop in from stall 11 of 11, but it was encouraging at least to see her keep on well from way off the speed to finish a creditable fourth. Back after a break and pitched nicely in box three of the seven runners, she should get a decent tow into the business end and at her morning odds, she looks way overpriced.