Andy Holding's Monday Racing Tips

KATYUSHA (best price 8-1) has clearly been a little bit of a slow burner, as just the three runs so far to date testifies, but she appears to be gradually working out what is required and now racing in her first handicap, Charlie Fellows’ filly might just be capable of making her presence felt at a more realistic level.

Too backward and green to do herself any justice on her only start last season, the Siyouni filly has shown a good deal more in two start this term and following an encouraging effort on her opening gambit of the season, she shaped just as well at Kempton last time out. Held up towards the rear at the Sunbury track, she made decent progress in the latter stages of an above-average fillies’ novice contest and considering she did so without being unduly punished, he performance deserves a fair amount of credit. Coming out of her recent exploits with what appears a workable mark, hopefully she can translate her ability to the turf for the first time and if she does handle the surface, this scopey filly can play some sort of role in the outcome.

OCEAN HEIGHTS (best price 7-1) shaped better than the bare result suggested at Lingfield last time out and now running over a trip likely to see him in a much better light, David Pipe’s gelding is taken to be far more competitive this time around.

A useful performer in bumpers for Lucy Wadham, winning on his final start of four at Stratford, the son of Dubawi was having his first outing at the Surrey venue since switching stables and on the evidence of what we witnessed 11 days ago, he still appears to be going in the right direction. Considering the chestnut gelding needed a reasonably run two miles to score back in July, the mile trip was always likely to be an insufficient test and although that proved to be the case, he still managed to perform to a decent standard. Some way off the pace at the top of the hill, the four-year-old came home with plenty of purpose once straightening up for home and his closing sectional of 34.3 for the last three-furlongs was more than respectable in context with the rest of the card. Likely to prove all the sharper for that first outing for 93 days, tonight’s extra three furlongs should allow him to find his stride a little earlier and apart from Cu Chullain, who showed plenty of promise in chasing home a hot-pot at Lingfield on debut, he should be capable of holding his own against the rest of the opposition.