Andy Holding's Tuesday Racing Tips

Only eight runners, but quite a complex little affair where strong cases can be made for at least half the field and one of those is VINTAGE FIZZ (best price 6-1), who has caught the eye on both his two hurdles starts to date.

Tried in a hood in a bid to curb his enthusiasm exhibited from his previous outing, Jedd O’Keeffe’s gelding stayed on quite nicely from being held up right out the back to finish a never-nearer sixth in a well-run maiden hurdle at Carlisle. Despite that promising effort, the headgear was dispensed with on his latest outing over today’s C&D and as it turned out, his overall levels of performance improved quite significantly. Once again held up well off the gallop set by the useful Since Day One, the son of Sulamani never remotely looked like he was going to get on terms with a novice who was setting decent fractions from the front, but he did make some noticeable late headway off camera to eventually get within seven lengths of the winner at the line (was a least 20 behind turning for home). Now he’s gained valuable experience of not only racing over hurdles, but also at today’s stiff course, the five-year-old chestnut should easily be capable of making a bigger impact where there doesn’t appear to be any superstars on show.

ROSE SEA HAS (best price 3-1) returned to the fray to put up one of her best performances of her career at Chepstow last month and a repeat of something similar should see Dr Newland’s mare go close to gain a deserved success to several near misses of late.

Runner-up in two of her previous three starts, the daughter of Kapgarde seemingly faced a stiff task on her first outing for 143 days at the Welsh track, put she turned a blind eye to her starting price of 20-1 and ran hard all the way to the line in what turned out to be a very generous gallop from flag fall. So strong was the pace that even the well-fancied Can You Call waved the white flag at the third from home, so it puts into perspective what the seven-year-old faced head on 26 days ago. Hopefully 26 days will be sufficient time for her to recovery from that bruising encounter and if so, she has bright prospects of returning to the winner’s circle.

La Prima Donna sets a reasonable standard courtesy of her decent effort behind the extremely talented Dinoblue at Clonmel last time out, but OUR MISS POWER (best price 6-1) comes into the equation on account of her last two starts over hurdles and, with one of them coming over today’s track, she makes more appeal at the morning odds.

Placed on her two previous starts at the Greenmount Park venue, the daughter of Flemensfirth was still sent off 50-1 to land a maiden hurdle despite winning a point-to-point in the interim and although the win part of those odds never looked like coming to fruition, the ended up being a healthy return on the place side. Held up towards the rear, the seven-year-old chestnut still had plenty on her plate turning for home, but she finished off her race with a good deal of purpose to fill out the third spot behind the very talented winner, Glens Of Antrim. Including herself, the first five home behind Willie Mullins’ mare have all gone on to be placed in their next starts, so providing she’s ridden with a little more urgency on her return to the same venue, Eoghan O’Grady’s mare should have a decent chance of breaking her duck over hurdles.

CANCAN (best price 9-4) shaped as though there are plenty of races to be won with her despite getting beaten at Ayr last time out and she’s afforded another chance to prove that theory correct in a race lacking any great strength in depth.

Winner of a useful and well-run mares’ only novices’ hurdle previously, Nick Alexander’s inmate looked to have been given a fair chance of repeating the dose in her first handicap on her return to the Scottish venue, and for nine tenths of the two-mile journey, she seemed like she was going to make a mockery of her opening mark of 106. Travelling all over her opposition turning out of the back straight, in hindsight, she probably hit the front too soon and, having done plenty in the early part of the contest, she eventually paid for those exertions late on. Clearly a mare with a good deal more talent that her current rating suggests, her eagerness to get on with the job at hand will need to be contained if she is going to make the grade going forward. Providing that side of her game can be harnessed here today, ability-wise, she has little to fear.