Andy Holding's Saturday Racing Tips

TYGER BAY (best price 9-4) has yet to run a bad race all season and following his best performance based on the findings of the clock last time out, Conrad Allen’s gelding could well be booked for course win number four.

Settled towards the rear after his usual tardy start, the four-year-old still had plenty to do as the field turned for home, but once the gaps opened as the cutaway appeared, he needed no second invitation to take the race by the scruff of the neck. Quickening up in tremendous style, the son of Cable Bay soon put daylight between himself and his rivals and with the overall time figure and final three-furlongs sectionals some of the best on the eight-card, his performance has to go down as above average for the grade. Raised to today’s new mark of 75, he will have to up his game again in order to follow up that impressive win but with his love for today’s surface and potent turn of foot weapons he can utilise to full effect, this in-form sprinter’s winning streak may not be over just yet.

SCOT’S GRACE (best price 7-2) made quite an impression when scoring on her debut over today’s C&D back in July and having missed several high profile engagements in order to be saved specifically for this prize, the daughter of Mehmas can provide her rookie handler one of his biggest successes so far to date.

Not totally unbacked prior to shipping up here two months ago, Kevin Philippart De Foy’s filly certainly know her job as she travelled extremely well right from the start, then once set alight inside the final two-furlongs, she impressed with the way she lengthened her stride all the way to the line. In no way flattered by her four length winning margin, the time figure she posted also backed up the nature of her victory and with her being the only horse to have stepped foot on to today’s surface likely to count for plenty in the final analysis, she’s strongly fancied to press home that advantage hailing from a trainer who is quickly making a name for himself.

WHERE’S BUNNY (best price 12-1) has just been on the fringes of the action since landing a two-mile handicap at Kilbeggan back in July but with a return to a trip more likely to play into her strengths, the locally-trained mare has a better chance than her morning odds imply of adding to that sole victory.

Despite running three solid races over 2m4f, including one over today’s C&D, connections have persisted with the minimum trip for the daughter of Arakan, but on the evidence of her latest exploits it appears she’s now ready for something less frantic. Indeed, on her latest outing at Down Royal, she just didn’t have the basis speed to cope with the helter-skelter pace set by the trail-blazing Kitty Galore but she should find the rhythm of today’s contest suiting much better and, as a result, she makes quite a bit of each-way appeal in a race that doesn’t have too many standout performers in the line-up.

KING TRITON (best price 9-4) ran a blinder in a very hot handicap at York on his first start for new connections last time out and in what looks overall a weaker race on paper, Grant Tuer’s gelding looks set to repay some of the 100k price tag attached to him from the Tattersalls HIT July sale.

An all-the-way winner of a maiden over today’s C&D for Roger Varian, the three-year-old had his first outing in what turned out to be a proper baptism of fire in a hot contest on the Knavesmire just two weeks ago and although he only paid off a tiny portion of his price tag, he gave new connections plenty of hope that their investment was a sound piece of judgement. Despite racing keenly early and looking one of the first ones in trouble 15 days ago, the son of Invincible Spirit kept on extremely well in the closing stages to finish a close-up third behind Rifleman and with the numbers from the race strongly suggesting it was one of the best handicaps of its kind all season, a good deal of credit has to be attached to his effort. On the evidence of that display, his current mark of 86 clearly looks workable and even though today’s test will prove no stroll in the park it will be disappointing all the same if he wasn’t vying for top honours.