Andy Holding's Saturday Racing Tips

BRUNCH (best price 15-2) wouldn’t have the sexy profiles as some of those towards the front end of the market, but what he does have is a wonderful attitude and, just as importantly, a real love for today’s track, so on that basis, he might just end up being the joker in the pack on his first try at Group level.

A real consistent and progressive type in some hard-knocking handicaps last season, it’s noticeable that two of his best performances on the figures came when he raced on the Knavesmire and although he ran okay on his final two outings in listed company, he wasn’t quite so effective away from his favourite track. Just touched off by Kynren in a hot race on the numbers when revisiting his happy hunting ground here earlier this season, he bounced back to his very best form when accounting for subsequently unlucky Golden Mile loser, Rhoscolyn, at Pontefract last time out, once again showing all the battling qualities synonymous with many of his previous displays. Although the son of Harbour Watch has a bit to find with Real World based on their clash in the Royal Hunt Cup, today’s course and (forecast) easier ground should bring them much closer together and because of that viewpoint, the four-year-old is worth playing in the win and place only markets.

CRESTA (best price 11-2) showed a really willing attitude for a horse having his first start at Leicester earlier in the month and with the strong possibility of a good deal more to come, Martyn Meade’s could deliver yet another giant-killing act.

Up against the previous winner and heavily-backed favourite, Modern Times, the son of New Bay impressed how easily he loomed up to the leaders at the two pole at the Midland venue, and then once joined by his main market rival inside the final furlong, the icing was put on the cake with the way he strode clear near the finish. Hitting the line really hard, the chestnut colt posted an extremely fast time figure into the bargain and even though he faces a formidable opponent in the shape of the more established Reach For The Moon, he’s still fancied to more than hold his own.

AURIA (best price 7-2) ran out quite an impressive and convincing winner of a listed fillies’ contest over today’s C&D when last seen, and with that all-important credit in the bank as far as track knowledge is concerned, Andrew Balding’s inmate can put that slight advantage she has over the field to good use.

Yet to disappoint in five career starts, the daughter of Muhaarar began this season in promising fashion with a couple of solid efforts behind the very smart filly Creative Flair and with the latter of those runs coming courtesy of a very strongly-run race over 1m2f at Newbury back in June, connections came to the conclusion that dropping back two furlongs might be worth revisiting. Setting out to make it a reasonable test by forcing the issue right from the start at the Esher track, she impressed with the way she kept lengthening all the way up the famous hill to the line and even

she not have beaten a vintage field of fillies’ that day, she did it in the style of horse who could easily mix it against tougher opposition. Moreover, she seemed equally at home on the soft surface she encountered 49 days ago and with similar conditions likely to be the order of the day again if the forecast is proven correct, this likeable filly looks sure to put up a bold bid in a race which has been the target ever since.

On the evidence of the first three days, a good break from a low draw that has led to racing close to pace has reaped benefits – which is almost a throwback to the York of yesteryear – and with COCKALORUM (best price 18-1) fitting the profile of many previous winners prior to today, Roger Fell’s gelding can outrun his morning odds at a venue where he’s gone well in the past.

Yet to run a bad race all season, including winning twice, the strapping six-year-old has seen his mark rise to heady heights of 99 and there’s no reason why he won’t run his race again despite the adjustments by the handicapper. Indeed, his latest effort at Goodwood when trying to make all the running is right up there with some of his best performances and it went some way to complementing his previous effort over today’s C&D when just touched off by Johnny Drama in a driving finish. Likely to push forward from his inside gate, one would imagine he’ll still be in front as the field turn for home and given how well he galloped on all the way to the line a month ago, he could turn out to be a tough nut to crack.

JUMAIRA BAY (best price 15-4) has developed into a bit of an OXO horse on recent evidence but, as he seems to save most of his best form for turning tracks, Roger Varian’s gelding has a decent chance of striking again over the same C&D that last saw him successful back in June.

Despite arriving at the Essex track after disappointing in the Victoria Cup, the four-year-old has surprisingly very heavily backed to make amends in what looked a very competitive handicap on paper and as it turned out, those who took part in the gamble certainly knew their onions. Held up early, he still had plenty to find in the relatively short home straight but in finding a smart turn of foot inside the final two furlongs, he swept by at least half a dozen horses in a short space of time to winning going away. Reverting to type when down the field in the Bunbury Cup next time, the Siyouni gelding proved a totally different proposition when racing around a left-handed bend again at Chester last time and that performance provides a decent degree of comfort that he’ll be capable of running to his very best level back at a track where he achieved his fastest speed figure.