Andy Holding's Saturday Racing Tips

As is the norm, conditions at the Midland venue for their big day of the year are testing and having proven herself suitable to a similar underfoot terrain in the past, SAINT DALINA (best price 9-2) has plenty to recommend in this opening contest.

Charlie Longsdon’s mare first sprung to prominence when securing her first career success at Ffos Las last season and from that point, stumps were drawn with a view to pot-hunting in soft ground handicaps this term. Yet to be out of the money in five starts this campaign, the daughter of Saint Des Saints has also taken a liking to today’s track and following a smooth victory on heavy ground back in December, she backed it up with another solid effort in defeat behind the useful Mr Harp a month later. Fourth in a red-hot Pertemps Qualfier at Warwick when wrong at the weights, she then went on to run a blinder in the first-time pieces at Ascot last time out and with the form of that race boosted by the winner at Warwick next time out, confidence is high she can maintain her consistency on ground that clearly suits.

DELUXE RANGE (best price 11-2) probably bumped into two above-average types when racing here last time out and while today’s contest is far from a walk in the park, it still represents a decent opportunity for Sandy Thompson’s gelding.

Runner-up to the very smart Alaphilippe at Ayr back in November, the son of Westerner didn’t have to wait too long to break his duck as he ran out a convincing winner of a novice hurdle at Kelso a month later. Off for 60 days, the six-year-old returned to action over today’s course to take on two similarly improving types and although he ultimately got well put in his place by the winner, Wetlands, he still emerged from the contest with great credit. Trying to make all the running, he was still in there pitching when blundering away his chance at the last, but he impressed with the way he kept on all the way to the line to force a photo with the 135-rated Lord Of Kerak. Coming out of that above-average affair with the same rating of 123, he appears well enough treated for his handicap debut and with today’s extra distance seen as a plus, there’s no obvious reason why he won’t put up a bold bid.

Both Paul Nicholls and Fergal O’Brien have struck gold in this race in recent times and the pair look to have decent chances this time around with HIGHLAND HUNTER (best price 14-1) and FINAL NUDGE (best price 16-1) flying the flag for their respective yards.

The former is a lightly-raced novice who stays really well and there’s every reason to believe he will find today’s marathon trip to his liking. Showing all his battling qualities to score at Carlisle over 3m2f on heavy ground two starts ago, he only narrowly failed to follow up Exeter last time out, but with the time figure suggesting he was probably a shade unlucky to bump into a fairly well handicapped horse who was unexposed at the trip, it was still a performance of some merit. Usually ridden fairly handily, the son of Subtle Power, therefore, has the sort of run style which usually befits the winner of this race and he should go a long way to give his handler some well needed cheer after a slightly below par Cheltenham by his high standards.

Cast your mind back to 2017 and the latter was in the process of running a huge race in this very contest only to get too low at the fourth last and depart the scene, so you could say the 12-year-old has some unfinished business.

Lightly raced since, the son of Kayf Tara has gone on to finish placed in both a Badger Ales Trophy and Welsh Grand National in the intervening period and he now ships up here off a considerably lower mark compared to those heady days. And it’s not as if he’s totally gone either. A really easy winner on his final start for David Dennis last season, he’s had just the one run since for new connections in a race which was won by today’s favourite, Time To Get Up, at Wincanton, and the way he went through that well-run contest at the West Country track strongly suggested he retains all his old verve. Not knocked about once his winning chance had gone, one would expect a fair amount of improvement fitness-wise after a 344-day break and with Fergal O’Brien’s gelding sneaking in down the foot of the handicap, he’s capable of easily outrunning his morning odds.

Having cost a king’s ransom, Interconnection has the kind of reputation which will ensure he’s always slightly overestimated in the market and while you could forgive him slightly when fluffing his lines at a short price on his debut for new connections, on balance, he’s worth taking on with the more experienced RED ROOKIE (NAP) (best price 3-1).

Hugely impressive in two soft-ground bumpers last term, the second of those victories came on this very card last season and the way he disposed of the very useful Unohu that day signalled Emma Lavelle gelding had a very bright future. Said not to be fit on his seasonal reappearance behind Ballymore Hurdle fourth, Bear Ghylls, the son of Black Sam Bellamy was also quite sick after the race and it meant he was off the track for quite some time. Making his comeback at Sandown four months later, the six-year-old showed all his old swagger when readily getting the better of the well-regarded Pipesmoker and that building block was just what the doctor ordered regarding the rest of the campaign. Very much seen as a future chaser by connections, there are no real big plans for him this season, but with today’s contest seemingly well within his compass over a trip which should suit, it would be slightly disappointing if he didn’t prove good enough to continue his rise up the ranks.