Andy Holding's Saturday Racing Tips

It’s quite evident based on recent developments, Godolphin have taken a keen interest in this traditional straight mile handicap and in the shape of EASTERN WORLD (best price 5-1), the boys in blue look to have another prospect with solid credentials. 

Similar to ex-stable mate Secret Brief, who took this prize back in 2016, Charlie Appleby’s gelding arrives here courtesy of a pre-run out in the desert but unlike their previous winner, he did manage to score on-route to Town Moor. The way he quickened up to turn away a hugely-competitive contest out in Meydan a month ago, which included the likes of Prompting and the supposed good thing Al Maysan, was a performance of horse seemingly right on top of his game at present and that improved display can largely be put down to a gelding operation he undertook in the off-season. Slightly disappointing on his final two starts last season, it’s easy now to understand why that proved to be the case and with his head-to-head score against his main market rival reading 1-1, the son of Dubawi is strongly fancied to edge ahead in that private joust. 

Away from the obvious players up the front end of the market, SCOTTISH SUMMIT (best price 33-1) makes some sort of appeal as one at much bigger odds who might reward each-way support.

You have to go back a fair way to find the last eight-year-old to land this contest, but the way he travels through his races is one of a younger model and he also arrives here with no fitness doubts. Having his first run for 155 days at Wolverhampton recently, Geoff Harker’s gelding was noted doing some good late work in the trial for this contest and considering how the race developed that day, his effort deserves upgrading. Going on strongly at the finish, that run would have done him the world of good and drawn towards the stands’ side fence where all the pace seems to be congregated (Dashing Roger and Born To Be Alive likely to push forward), one can see him being smuggled up in behind the speed before being delivered with a late run. The firms who are offering six and even seven places might be worth exploiting with him.

KALOOKI (best price 15-8) has rather lost his way since impressing on his first two starts over today’s course early in the campaign, but now returning to the scene of his career best efforts on more suitable conditions, the bold-jumping grey has a decent chance of regaining the winning thread. 

Despite showing useful form over hurdles, chasing always looked like being this son of Martaline’s game and so it proved on his very first outing over fences. Bounced out from the start, Philip Hobbs’ gelding always looked in command despite one or two niggly errors on the way around and he went on to post a decent speed figure in defeating a useful field by 12 lengths. Upped in class next time, the seven-year-old made a bold fist to repeat the dose, but this time a couple of costly mistakes over the three-mile journey just found him out at a higher level and he had to settle for a minor role behind the very smart Next Destination. Considering he’s favoured edging to his left over his obstacles, it therefore seemed quite a strange move to ask him to race right-handed on his latest two starts against top-class Graded company, but either way, he still managed to acquit himself quite well in the strongly-run Reynoldstown at Ascot when last seen. Back racing anti-clockwise and on ground that should prove to be just about ideal, Kalooki has the class to dominate this field.

Alastair Ralph has had a pretty good week up to now and things might just get a whole lot better as the Shropshire handler sends OSPREY CALL (best price 11-2) to post with an excellent chance of adding to his tally.

A promising fourth behind the useful Faivoir at Ludlow on hurdling debut, the son of Winged Love was given a 70-day break in order to avoid the bounce factor and as it proved, the pause that refreshes did the trick. Despite still tending to over-race early, the six-year-old proved too strong for the consistent Across The Line in the latter stages and with the pair clear and time figure above-average, it’s clear he has a decent engine. Although today’s contest is a little inconclusive regards obvious early pace, hopefully Alex Edwards can switch him off early and if so, he’s likely to be a major factor at the business end, just like he was on a similar track 31 days ago. 

DJASEK (NAP) (best price 15-2) has been plying his trade to a decent level of late over hurdles and with fitness on his side, he can overcome the steadier of top weight. 

A winner on his final start for Mikel Delzangles out in France back in 2019, the son of Rip Van Winkle has yet to score since joining current connections, but he’s getting ever closer to ending that unwanted hoodoo and he might have landed any of his last three races with a little more luck. 

Caught out by a poor track position when a staying-on second at Fairyhouse three starts ago, he then suffered the fate of being badly hampered rounding the home bend in a similarly competitive handicap hurdle at Naas a month later. Well-backed to make amends in a well-contested affair over today’s course last time out, he came out easily the best of those who were held up in a race where they got strung out from an early stage and it’s worth noting he managed to clock the fastest final circuit of any horse competing over the hurdles track that day (Coqolino, Robinstown and Gars De Sceaux the three hurdle winners all much higher rated). Returning to the Flat off what appears a reasonable mark (63 with the rider’s claim), he clearly handles both today’s track and ground and with the excellent Siobhan Rutledge teaming with up with Tony Martin again (seen to good effect on the stable’s Drakensberg recently) the five-year-old can be plotted an early wide course to avoid the chewed up inside before being delivered late down the likely favoured middle part of the track (runners tend to head down the centre here on heavy ground).