Andy Holding's Wednesday Racing Tips

HUNTERS STEP (NAP) (best price 15-8) caught the eye in a major way on his first run back after a 62-day break here last time out and with that all-important run under his belt, Henry Spiller’s gelding makes quite a bit of appeal on his return visit.

Victorious in a seven-furlong handicap at Newcastle last June, the son of Muhkadram had struggled to recapture that level of form in six subsequent efforts but if the evidence of his most recent exploits is a fair guide, he isn’t too far away from a return to his best. Held up towards the rear here 17 days ago, the six-year-old was noted travelling smoothly turning into the home straight but from the two-furlong pole down, he failed to obtain anything like a clear run and he ended up having to sit and suffer in behind a wall of horses. Considering how much running he seemingly had left to offer as he flashed past the line, it’s easy to draw to the conclusion he would have taken a hand in the finish with a smoother passage, and today’s contest no greater in terms of the sort of opposition he faces, it would come as a major shock if he wasn’t vying for top honours with a better rub of the green.

HAFEET ALAIN (best price 2-1) seemed to enjoy the strong gallop and faster surface of the all-weather at Wolverhampton last time out and Ed Walker’s inmate looks poised to strike back up to a trip that should play more into his strengths.

A switch to Doug White over in Hong Kong failed to produce any real fireworks, so the son of Elzaam was picked up by new connections in a bid to revive his career and of what we’ve seen of him in three runs back on these shores, home comforts appear to have worked wonders. Shaping as though he was in need of his first two runs since returning, the six-year-old was sent to the Dunstall Park venue with a view to kick-starting his career on the all-weather and in what turned out to be a very strongly run affair, he narrowly failed to make it career win number four. Given the way he finished off the race, however, he clearly can’t be too far away from adding to his winning tally and with tonight’s extra distance longer straight likely to play more into his strengths, the lightly-raced gelding is strongly fancied to deliver the goods.