Andy Holding's Saturday Racing Tips

HIGH FIBRE (best price 3-1) seemed to really appreciate a step up in trip at York last time out and on that basis, Ralph Beckett’s colt is taken to excel further granted an even stiffer test.

Progressing steadily in three mid-season maidens, the son of Vadamos earned himself an opening rating of 75 and although he failed in his bid to make a successful winning nursery debut on the Knavesmire, he did more than enough to suggest it’s only matter of time before he hits the jackpot. Outpaced as the tempo lifted three out, he found himself in an uncompromising position, but it was inside the final furlong when his work really began to impress as he flashed home to finish just in behind the main players. By a top-class middle-distance performer out of a dam who stayed two miles over hurdles, this lightly-raced colt should prove to be in his element over today’s 1m1f trip and he’s fancied to press home that viewpoint hailing from a stable who’ve hit a nice bit of form of late.

SOARING GLORY (best price 5-1) wasn’t quite good enough to cope with the likes of Appreciate It and Ballyadam in the Grade 1 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle on his final start of the campaign, but having already proven himself in a well-run, big-field environment at Newbury previously, Jonjo O’Neill’s gelding rates a confident choice to kick-start his season in a pretty positive vein.

A victory over the top-class Bravemansgame on his opening start to last season strongly suggested the son of Fame And Glory was going to be a potent force in novice hurdles throughout the campaign and even though he suffered defeat in his next three outings, he came good when the big pot was up for grabs at the Berkshire venue in February. In what looked one of the most competitive renewals of the valuable two-mile handicap, the six-year-old travelled supremely well throughout and when asked to put the race to bed once jumping the last, he found plenty for pressure to pull well clear close home. Seeing how well the race has worked out subsequently, especially this season with the likes of Buzz, Guard Your Dreams, Glory And Fortune and Annual Invitcus all winning big pots recently, Soaring Glory should still turn out to be extremely competitive off his current mark of 143 and hailing from a stable going great guns at present, he should enhance his overall consistency at a track where his stats read 123.

ESKYLANE (best price 9-2) shaped really well on his seasonal bow in arguably the most competitive handicap hurdle run at Listowel a month ago and with today’s stiffer track likely to see Gordon Elliott’s gelding in an even better light, he rates a solid each-way choice at the morning odds.

A high-class bumper horse good enough to finish fifth in the Grade 1 at the Cheltenham Festival, the five-year-old hasn’t quite managed to scale the heights connections would have hoped in six starts over hurdles, but at the same time, there have been glimmers here and there which have suggested he’s not far off from making a name for himself. On the fringes of the action in two big-field handicaps at the Leopardstown and Fairyhouse Festivals respectively last season, the son of

Flemensfirth made a bigger impact on his latest outing at the Co Kerry venue 36 days ago when a close-up fourth in a quality Grade B handicap. Just slightly done for tow in between the last two hurdles, it was encouraging to see him run on nicely all the way to the line and with the form of the race in question working out well with the likes of Ciel de Neige and Tudor City winning since, it’s not difficult to imagine this fella following suit over a track that should play into his strengths.

Cryname is quickly becoming a real Oxo horse and while some of his better performances still just about justify him being favourite, his overall patchy record is enough to cast him to one side at the morning price in favour of SHAN BLUE (NAP) (best price 3-1).

A useful 139-rated hurdler who just fell short of top-class, Dan Skelton’s gelding, however, has taken his game to a whole new level since switching his attentions to fences and he made an immediate impact in the early part of last season, capturing three novice events straight off the reel. Impressing with his bold jumping over today’s course twice, his third victory came at the very highest level when he claimed the Grade 1 Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Kempton and as it snatds, that performance proved to be the highlight of his first season. Whether the effects of that big effort caught up with him on his final three starts, one couldn’t say for sure, but either way, he still didn’t register another success in three subsequent outings. Best on the evidence of last year and his overall profile, the son of Shantou tends to save his best form for the early part of the campaign, which lends itself to the theory he goes best fresh, and with today’s flat, left-handed track tailor made for his style of racing, it’s very much a case of this event being his Gold Cup.

RATTLE OWL (best price 4-1) made it two wins from three starts over hurdles with a convincing success at Sedgefield last time out and hailing from a yard who took this race with a similar type two years ago, Jedd O’Keeffe’s gelding can repeat the dose for his local handler.

Successful on his first attempt at his new discipline at Newcastle last April, the five-year-old was slightly below-par on next start at Kelso but time may tell he was up against a smart horse at the Borders venue in the shape of the Richard Phillips-trained Lesser. Given a 146-day break, the son of Kayf Tara returned to action a month ago in a fair novices’ event and having travelled well off a sound pace he quickly assumed command to pull nicely clear of his two main market rivals. Posting a good speed figure in the process, he also took the notable scalp of subsequent winner Gordon’s Jet and with today’s flat, galloping track and likely strong pace set to suit, this lightly-race type should be capable of making a bold bid in his first foray into handicaps.