Sunday Racing Tips from Andy Holding

It was too early to say whether MAX FLAMINGO (best price 5-1) would have been involved in the finish but for unseating rider here last time out, but either way, Francis Casey’s gelding is fancied to back up the form of his previous outing in Grade 1 company.

Still yet to win over fences in five starts, the son of Kalanisi, however, has been up against some pretty stern opposition and with each run prior to his latest exploits strongly suggesting he’s getting better with each run, it was a shame to see him depart the scene halfway down the back straight. Prior to that untimely demise, the seven-year-old just didn’t see out the three miles as well as the likes of Fury Road and Run Wild Fred in a Grade 1, but he still managed to finish ahead of Ontheropes, Ashdale Bob and Bacardys – all top class performers in their own right – and that effort has to go down as a career high. Back to a more suitable trip over a course where he’s already won over hurdles, Francis Crawley’s lightly-raced type makes plenty of appeal off his current rating of 142.

CRAMBO (best price 10-3) was value for a good deal more than the winning margin suggested on his debut over today’s C&D two months ago and safe in the knowledge that he will be perfectly at home under today’s conditions (likely to be pretty testing come the last race on the card), Fergal O’Brien’s gelding can provide his handler with yet another winner in this sphere.

In-keeping with how a lot of horses from the yard are ridden in these kind of events, the son of Saddler Maker was held up right out the back at the Cambridgeshire track, but it didn’t make any difference to the end result as he came sweeping through from well off the pace in the closing stages to score going away. Time-wise, his performance was pretty good on the clock – particularly the backend sectionals – and with his experience of today’s track likely to count for plenty, the promising five-year-old is worth another roll of the dice.