Andy Holding's Monday Racing Tips

EL HOMBRE (best price 5-1) shaped as though he would be all the better for his first outing after a 222-day break here last time out and having gone and bagged a more favourable stall than he did a month ago (box 1), Mark Loughnane’s gelding can continue the decent recent run of his stable.

Not exactly prolific in the last few seasons, the seven-year-old chestnut, however, has put up some notable performances in defeat, none more so than his effort over tonight’s C&D 30 days ago. Drawn outside in stall 7 of 7, the son of Camacho, as a result, was force to race wide for pretty much the entire journey so the fact he kept on as well as he did to finish a never-nearer fourth behind the useful Nelson Gay is testimony to his never-say-die attitude. Healthy though the overall time figure was, it was still a little below his fastest number he posted over the same C&D a year earlier when he finished runner-up to Full Authority in a similar Class 3 event and now dropping below a mark of 80 for the first time for quite some time, it’s hoped that this largely consistent performer will find tonight’s competition a little less taxing than of late.

SCARBOROUGH CASTLE (NAP) (best price 2-1) came from a long way back to get up in the dying strides over tonight’s C&D last time out and with the speed figure extremely complementary for a horse of his grade (joint top rated on the evening with Nelson Gay), David Simcock’s gelding has scope to progress beyond his current mark on his return to the Dunstall Park venue.

Well backed to justify his previous effort on the all-weather for new connections, the three-year-old was set a fair task in the early stages 30 days ago by being dropped out right towards the rear, but as it turned out, he still had the ability to overcome the potentially uncompromising position. Additionally, his final circuit time of 1.36.5 was almost four seconds quicker than the second division won by the 60-rated Meadram, so to come out that contest a month ago just 3lb higher in the ratings has to go down as a monumental touch for all concerned. Clearly at his best when coming through late off a strong pace, the son of Fastnet Rock will be hoping that the likes of Ott My Way and Hy Eales take the field along at a reasonable tempo and providing that turns out to be the case, he should get the ideal set-up in order for him to strike again.