Andy Holding's Saturday Racing Tips

RELEASE THE KRACKEN (best price 9-4), an early casualty at Kelso last time out, is better judged on his previous effort against some pretty tidy novices at Ayr and having seemingly got into today’s handicap debut off what appears a very generous opening mark, Nicky Richards’ gelding rates a strong choice to press home that viewpoint. 

Shaping as though badly in need to the run first time out this season, the son of Shantou was ridden in a rather circumspect manner against his better-fancied stable companion at the Scottish venue next time, but despite this sympathetic approach, he still managed to run a race full of promise. The way he came home in the final half a mile with being unduly punished suggested he might have a fair engine under the bonnet once fully revved up and with the numbers from that race in question very good for the grade, a rating of 99 probably falls a good bit short of his true worth. 

A tightly-knit affair with all four holding some sort of chance on the pick of their best form, but the one who arrives here with the few recent convictions is ELDORADO ALLEN (best price 11-4) and he easily makes the most appeal at the morning odds. 

A top-class novice chaser from last season, good enough to chase home Shishkin in the Arkle, Colin Tizzard’s grey has begun this term in pretty decent fashion, landing the valuable Haldon Gold Cup at Exeter before going on to finish an honourable third in the Peterborough Chase at Huntingdon last time out. Needing all of the stiff 2m1f at the West Country venue, the son of Khalkevi shaped as though the tight nature of track on good ground caught him out 41 days ago, but with today’s test over slightly further under much softer conditions likely to be much more suitable, he seems a much more reliable proposition than any of his three rivals. 

SCIPION (best price 14-1) wouldn’t be the first one to jump off the page for most punters, but when you consider he was the only one to offer any resistance to subsequent Grade 1 Tolworth runner-up, Jetoile, at Leicester on his rules debut and represents the same stable who took this race last season, his claims make a lot more sense than his morning odds imply. 

Runner-up in two quality point-to-points, one for his current trainer and the other for Colin Bowe in Ireland, the son of Shantou carried forward a fairly healthy reputation into his opening gambit at the Midland track 31 days ago and although he ultimately came up a little short, he was in no way disgraced. Keeping on well all the way down the long home straight, he never looked like he was going to overhaul the winner, but as we know, his main rival that day is extremely useful and the time figure also backed up that view. Not only has Jetoile gone on to prove he’s a novice of some class, the third home that day, Another Crick, has gone to land a handicap chase on his next start, so it’s clear we are dealing with quite a smart contest as far as novice hurdles are concerned. Clearly thought good enough to tackle a race of today’s nature after just the one start by shrewd connections, the hint deserves to be taken, and even if using Jetoile as a guide is a little spurious, 18-1 still represents decent value about a horse who looks a strong stayer in the making. 

GERICAULT ROQUE (best price 4-1) was heavily involved in what turned out to be a stellar version of the Mandarin Handicap Chase at Newbury last time out and with the theory being that most of the younger generation of chasers seem to have a massive edge over their older rivals when it comes to races of this nature nowadays, David Pipe’s gelding makes loads of appeal. 

When it comes to three-mile chases and beyond, the indication a race is pretty good is when the main players manage to run the final circuit in a time comparable to one over the minimum trip (Gallic Geordie the winner of the two-mile chase) and in the case of the big 3m2f handicap at the Berkshire venue 17 days ago, that’s exactly what occurred. Right from the outset, the pace was generous thanks to the exploits of Run To Milan and when he capitulated three out, it was left for the son of Montmatre and Saint Palais to fight out the finish. Going hard all the way to the line, the six-year-old just came out second best in a rousing finish, but with the pair well clear and, as mentioned, the clock pointed towards a very slick time, he came out of the race with an immense amount of credit. Although it’s early days yet, the form already looks reliable if using the fourth (beaten 33 lengths), Run To Milan, as a guide and having also run well in a quality novices’ handicap at Chepstow the time before, splitting subsequent winners Pats Fancy and Broken Halo, his profile is beginning to be manicured into one of a very progressive young stayer. Indeed, even at this stage, he has the same kind of qualities as his now-retired stable mate Vieux Lion Rouge and with today’s trip threatening to bring about even further improvement from this lightly-raced type, it would be a major disappointment if he didn’t turn out to be a major player against what has to be considered as a largely exposed-looking bunch of opponents.