Thursday Racing Tips from Andy Holding

WYNN HOUSE (best price 3-1) wouldn’t want the ground to deteriorate too much during the course of the day, but even so, Alan King’s mare will hopefully have enough class to overcome such an impost and she makes plenty of appeal at the morning odds.

A thoroughly consistent type over the last three seasons, the daughter of Presenting has taken on some pretty smart mares during this period and her latest effort at Cheltenham encapsulates the kind of tasks she’s been experiencing. In a hot-looking Class 2 handicap up against the likes of Martello Sky and Indefatigable, the seven-year-old performed about as well as could be expected – keeping on nicely from two out – and that contest is a far cry from the one she faces here this afternoon. Withdrawn from an Ascot handicap two weeks ago due to soft ground, connections will no doubt be keeping one eye on the weather during the build-up, but providing conditions are no worse than they were at Prestbury Park 82 days ago, she should be good enough to run to a level that makes her the dominant force in a race of this nature.

PICANHA (NAP) (best price 2-1) wasn’t quite up to Grade 2 standard at Cheltenham last time out, but with the handicapper seeing fit to drop him to a mark which now enables him to run in a fairly ordinary-looking Class 3 event, it would be something of a surprise if Richard Philips’ gelding didn’t prove good enough to capitalise.

A game winner of a keenly-contested novice hurdle at Warwick back in December, form of which has worked out extremely well since, connections decided to roll the dice at a much higher level next time to see whether he was up to that sort of level, but as it turned out, he just plain and simply didn’t have the pace against much quicker sorts on good ground. Back on a softer surface today and likely to go at a more gentile gallop, the eight-year-old is fancied to prove he’s a good bit better than his current rating of 122 and he deserves to be played accordingly.

There’s strong recent evidence to suggest that MY BROTHER MIKE (best price 9-2) is actually improving despite his advancing years and having run close to a career high behind a progressive and well-treated youngster at Wolverhampton last time out, John Stimpson’s gelding is fancied to regain the winning thread.

In cracking form towards the backend of the Flat season with wins at Wolverhampton and Bath, the eight-year-old returned to Midland venue after an 84-day break in what looked a competitive race on paper for the grade and that view was very much played out on the track itself. The tearaway Simulation Theory ensured the pace was extremely brisk in the early stages 52 days ago and it was noticeable how well the son of Bated Breath travelled as a result. Picking up the running going well turning for home, it looked like the veteran was going to complete his hat trick until along came handicap debutante Old Port to gun him down late on, but with the pair well clear, it was still a commendable effort. Take away the impressive winner, who is now rated 85, the top weight would have landed that Class 5 affair with a bit to spare, so even though tonight’s contest contains plenty of in-form rivals for whom solid cases can be made, it’s difficult to see him not putting up a stern challenge.