Andy Holding's Monday Racing Tips

FIRST CHARGE (NAP) (best price 13-8) was completely undone by how the race panned out here over today’s C&D last time out, but at the same time, his performance in defeat still suggested he’s worth keeping on side and today’s contest rates a decent opportunity for that theory to be vindicated.

A big unit who is often slowly away and takes a while to find top stride, the son of Dansili was once again lingering out the back door at the Sunbury venue 19 days ago and even though he finished off his race with his usually gusto, unfortunately his main market rival, Beggerman, had already obtained first run. That said, in managing to finish well clear of the rest he strongly suggesting he remains a well-handicapped horse, and with his two previous victories for Mark Loughnane highlighting how well his new handler has done since acquiring the four-year-old at the back end of the summer, hopefully today’s slightly smaller field will mean he doesn’t have to make up so much ground in a such a short space of time.

BERYL THE PERIL (best price 7-4) has still yet to win in nine starts, but there has been enough encouragement of late to indicate her turn can’t be too far away and following her best performance on the figures over today’s C&D last time out, a return to the Dunstall Park venue should enable her to finally get her head in front.

Placed on her first two starts since leaving William Jarvis, the daughter of Dandy Man was one of the main market leaders on her first try on the tapeta surface 31 days ago and although she couldn’t quite get the job done, her effort in defeat still has to go down as a commendable one. Slightly on heels as the gates opened, she found herself just worse than mid-division going down the back, but she picked up really nicely in the latter stages and had her run been able to start a little earlier, she may have prevailed. Hitting the line really hard, both the winner and herself finished miles clear of the rest and with the time figure backing up the feeling that the front two remain pretty well-handicapped for the grade, Kevin Philippart De Foy’s filly is strongly fancied to prove that a mark of 50 underestimates her overall levels of ability.