Andy Holding's Saturday Racing Tips

OMAN (NAP) (best price 9-4) has an attitude to suggest he will be happier than most grinding away under today’s conditions and he’s fancied to press home that viewpoint at a track where he has gone well in the past.

A narrow-margin runner-up to the very smart Lone Eagle at Goodwood on his first encounter on soft ground last season, Ralph Beckett’s gelding rounded off his campaign with another effort under even more testing conditions at Newmarket. Gelded over the winter period, the son of Australia was sent off a warm favourite to finally get off the mark in a maiden at Salisbury earlier this month and despite looking vulnerable at several stages, he eventually saw off his four rivals for a gutsy success. Indeed, the further he went at the Wiltshire venue, the better he looked and after that performance, connections would have no doubt been thinking along the lines of the King George Handicap at the Royal meeting. Whether that comes to pass, only time will tell, but of he is to justify such lofty targets, nothing short of a big effort today is excepted.

TOM COLLINS (best price 11-2) was never a factor on his seasonal reappearance at Thirsk a month ago for various reasons, but with conditions much more to his liking here this afternoon, a more positive outcome is anticipated from William Haggas’ gelding.

Although he hasn’t been totally full proof on soft ground, it’s noticeable his two best performances have come when conditions have been fairly testing and it’s one of the reasons why current connections had to go to 100k to acquire his services. His victory at Pontefract on his final start of last season sent the clock watchers into a frenzy and he subsequently went from David Elsworth to William Haggas with a view to him to him climbing through the handicap ranks to pattern level. On the evidence of his opening bow at the Yorkshire venue, he clearly is someway off that standard just yet, but there is still plenty of time for him to leave his current mark well behind and today’s conditions are likely to be a better guide to his true capabilities. Although stall 13 wouldn’t appear ideal at first glance, racing widest of all will mean that the son of Dubawi will have the benefit of coming towards the favoured nearside of the course in the home straight and with the cheekpieces on for the first time, he makes plenty of each-way appeal at the morning odds.

As we saw here just over a week ago, course form is never a bad thing on the Knavesmire and having raced here to a pretty high standard on numerous occasions, MAKAWEE (best price 13-2) is fancied to gain that all-important black-type success.

A winner on her first visit here back in 2019, some of her better performances have taken place over this galloping course and another solid effort should be forthcoming based on the evidence of her seasonal bow at Goodwood 22 days ago. Setting solid fractions from the start at the Sussex venue, David O’Meara’s mare kept on willingly all the way to the line and although she came out second best in a tight photo, her short head defeat to the smart Alpinista has to go down as a career high. If

formulating her ideal conditions, you’d have to say 1m6f on soft ground would pretty much fit the criteria she requires to be at her best and being as she is the only one in today’s line-up who has experience of running over today’s course, that advantage is likely to count for plenty in the final analysis.

Dragon Symbol has made such dramatic strides in a short space of time, he amazingly finds himself one of the main fancies for the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot, but on his way to the top, he’s yet to encounter ground unlike what he’s set to face this afternoon and at the morning odds, he’s readily passed over in favour of LIGHT REFRAIN (best price 8-1).

Unlike her main market rival, William Haggas’ filly has shown a distinct preference for plenty of give underfoot (very much like her mother) and her smooth victory at Nottingham two weeks ago only further enhanced her reputation as a top-quality performer when conditions are in her favour. Always travelling best at the Midland venue, the daughter of Frankel eased her way into the lead approaching the final furlong and then from that point onwards, she appeared to be in cruise control, almost giving out the impression she was dossing in the latter stages. How much she had in hand is anyone’s guess, but either way, she looks a filly right on top of her game at present and thoroughly deserves her place in a race of this nature.