Andy Holding's Saturday Racing Tips

A wide open-looking race on paper but it’s probably best to concentrate on fillies’ who haven’t endured a particularly hard season, so with that in mind, VIA SISTINA (best price 16-5) and TASHI (best price 20-1) make the most appeal. 

The former, without doubt, has the most physical scope of today’s field and she’s also shown she has the ability to match on several occasions, none more so than with her taking victory at Newmarket last time out. Given a typically patient ride by Jamie Spencer, Joe Tuite’s filly loomed up pulling a cart at the two-furlong pole and when asked to go and secure the prize late on, she strode out majestically up the hill to record a comfortable success. Additionally, her winning time figure was exceptionally good and with the distinct possibility of even more to come now they know how she likes to be ridden, today’s track lends itself to horse of her hold-up run style. 

The latter continues to be a source of frustration due to her sluggish nature out of the stalls, but there’s no doubt the engine is there and today’s galloping course, with long home straight, might just help her overcome the likely deficit she’ll no doubt forfeit at the start. Once again slowly away in a similar race to today’s at Naas last time out, Sheila Lavery’s filly was still in last place as the field turned for home, but in finishing her race off best of all, she managed to get within striking distance of some top-class Irish-based fillies. It’s also worth pointing she achieved the feat despite challenging on the slowest part of the track and with a 1m4f on soft ground her optimum conditions, a big run is anticipated even allowing for the fact she will probably be towards the rear by halfway. 

A good deal of water has flown under the bridge since the days of when Edward O’Grady was plundering top-class races over here with the likes of Back In Front and Tranquil Sea in the Noughties, but there’s a decent chance the good times may roll again for the Co Tipperary handler with ACT OF GOD (NAP) (best price 9-2) in this qualifier for the final of the Pertemps series. 

A useful performer under both codes, the son of Camelot has been showing all facets of his skills throughout the summer period and following three cracking efforts over hurdles, including a victory in a competitive handicap hurdle over hurdles at Bellewstown, he carried that form over to the Flat at Gowran last time out. Up against two seemingly well-treated recent winners in the shape of Autumn Evening and Wolf Prince, the six-year-old foiled both those gambles by staying on extremely strongly in the latter stages and in the process, he ended up clocking a very smart speed figure for a race of its kind. Proving that stamina is very much his key component at the Co Kenny venue, a step back up to three miles here this afternoon should prove ideal and with this Irish raider taking on a home contingent largely full of horses either out of form or coming back off a long layoff, it would be a major surprise if he wasn’t vying for top honours.

FRESH (best price 9-2) shaped as though races beyond six-furlongs might see him a better light further down the line here last time out and under a similarly patient ride to the one he received 15 days ago, James Fanshawe’s gelding can come through strongly at the business end to make his presence felt. 
Runner-up to the now top-class Rohaan in the Wokingham at Royal Ascot back in June, the four-year-old has been fairly lightly raced since and of just those three runs, the pick of his performances undoubtedly came here on Town Moor. Held up towards the rear as per usual, the son of Bated Breath just got done for a little bit of tactical speed as the main players kicked at the two-furlong pole but in finishing off best of all, he eroded the deficit to just three lengths at the line. Considering how well the race worked out of the figures, his effort has to go down as somewhere close to a career-high and having proven himself more than capable of seeing out a well-run seven-furlongs handicap at Ascot previously (won his race on the nearside), the whole set-up about today’s contest fits him like a glove. 

MAGICAL SPIRIT (best price 8-1) ran out a convincing winner of a quality handicap over today’s C&D last time out and with the figures strongly suggesting he’d run somewhere close to pattern standard, Kevin Ryan’s gelding is well worth a shot to see whether he can make the grade on his first attempt at listed level. 

Looking at the son of Zebedee’s career graph, it seems as though it’s not until the Autumn leaves are falling do we see the best of him and if you cast aside all his performances during the other periods of the year and just focus on September, October and November, his form figures read 112414401. Staying true to his profile on Town Moor 15 days ago, he brushed aside a competitive field of quality handicappers with a bit to spare and with his time figure suggesting he’d easily surpassed anything he’d achieved previously, it’s clear the five-year-old arrives here in the form of his life. In what looks sure to be another strongly run affair with the likes of Bielsa, Volatile Analysist, Dakota Gold and Punchbowl Flyer in the line-up, expect this in-form chestnut to be arriving late on the scene to hopefully produce a knockout blow. 

In what should turn out to be a well-run affair for this traditional big-race curtain closer, the ability to stay beyond 1m4f may not be a bad thing and the two who make the most appeal using that theory as a guide are CALLING THE WIND (best price 11-1) and EAST ASIA (best price 9-1).

The former has seen his stock increase ten-fold over the last few months’ courtesy of several massive performances in big-field staying handicaps and following a deserved and game victory in the big 2m4f handicap at Glorious Goodwood, he produced another quality performance when third in the Cesarewitch at Newmarket last time. Based on the speed figures at HQ, it could be argued Richard Hughes’ gelding actually ran better in defeat that day than he had done in victory and with him also proven that he’s adaptable regards today’s trip courtesy of his fine second to Makram at Newbury in September, everything points to another big effort from this strong-travelling stayer. 

The latter has been yet another advertisement for the skills of Ian Williams and his latest victory, five runs further down the line than the hat trick he racked up mid-summer, highlights the brilliant way the son of Ifrraaj has been kept sweet all season. Indeed, the way he quickened up to readily brush aside his opponents at Nottingham last time out strongly suggests he’s better than ever and with distances from 1m4f to 2m coming all alike, today’s likely stamina test should suit him more than most.