Our horse racing expert Andy Holding has three tips for today's action, including a NAP at Cartmel.
14:55 Cartmel
A winner previously over 2m4f at Huntingdon last autumn, the son of Scorpion has been lightly raced since and with one of his better performances coming via a staying on second when splitting the smart pair Bushypark (now rated 132) and Hydroplane (123) at Doncaster in December, it was easy to see why he was so warm in the market prior to his most recent display at the North Wales track. Despite being niggled along over a mile from home, the seven-year-old came through strongly in the latter stages to wear down the front-running Finisk River and with the overall time figure and final lap sectionals easily the best of the six races on the hurdles track that day, his effort deserves extra praise. So far, both the third and fourth from that well-run contest 31 days ago have gone on to endorse the form and with the strong possibility of more to come given the evidence gathered of him over distances shorter than three miles, Eyeofthescorpion is fancied to more than hold his own against several course specialists.
16:45 Cartmel
A cracking turnout for this competitive Class 3 handicap chase and despite being up against several in-form summer jumpers, PINK EYED PEDRO (best price 4-1) is fancied to take advantage of a slight ease in grade.
A commendable runner-up to Livelovelaugh in the Topham Chase at Aintree last season, David Brace’s 10-year-old has been keeping pretty high company ever since and even though he’s yet to score in four races since that career-high effort back in April, there’s no way his levels of consistency can be faulted. Fourth in the high-quality Clarke Chase behind Francky Du Berlais at Uttoxeter back in May, the son of Dr Massini went one place better behind his old rival in Market Rasen’s summer highlight a month later and on his latest outing at Worcester 12 days ago, he was unlucky to bump into an upwardly-mobile chaser in the shape of Excelerator Express. Going as well as anything turning for home at the Midland track, he shaped as though he didn’t quite see out the trip just shy of three miles that day, but now dropping to a distance more in-keeping with his overall profile, the top weight should appreciate both the track and likely strong gallop in his bid to score in the first-time cheekpieces.
19:15 Roscommon
MAGIC WORD (best price 6-1) wasn’t quite switched on enough at the most crucial stage of her opening gambit at the Curragh earlier this month, but she should have gained a significant amount of knowledge to make a better fist of things second time in this much weaker-looking maiden.
By no means a forlorn hope judged on the pre-race activity at the Co Kildare venue, Andy Oliver’s filly was noted still going well enough as the field turn for home, but just as the pace cranked up a notch from the three to the two, she found herself floundering for a little tactical speed. She did, however, pick up in pretty pleasing style inside the final furlong and by the time she’d hit the line, the daughter of Excelebration was going on strongest of all. On the evidence of that display 17 days ago, she looks sure to be seen in a much better light stepping up to today’s 1m4f journey and providing she can bounce out well from her inside gate and obtain a good early position, she’s expected to prove a prominent feature throughout and defy her early morning quotes.
