Tuesday Racing Tips from Andy Holding

MORODER (best price 5-2) arrives here in by far and away the best nick of all the seven runners and with both of his latest two victories coming in pretty decisive fashion over today’s course, a hat trick of wins at the West Country venue looks very much on the cards for Seamus Mullins’ gelding. 

A comfortable winner at Plumpton back in December, the son of Morozov has gone from strength to strength since and following a hard-fought victory over Gustavian over three miles here a month later, he scored with much more authority on his return visit 25 days ago. Despite there being just four runners, the pace was fairly brisk throughout and even though the likes of De Young Warrior and Queenofhearts brought solid recent form to the table, the eight-year-old proved way too strong for the pair in the closing stages. Numbers-wise, it’s interesting that the final circuit of the race in question was run six seconds quicker than the other staying handicap on the same card won by Captain Drake (one of today’s main rivals, Classic Ben was second), so based on those findings and the fact he has plenty of experience of today’s track to call upon, Moroder makes more appeal than most.

A good quality, competitive field assembled for this Class 3 handicap and it’s one of the more lightly raced among the party, BALLYBREEZE (best price 5-1), that makes the most appeal at the morning odds.
Yet to win in five starts over hurdles, Sam Drinkwater’s gelding has been gradually getting closer to making that illusive breakthrough and his latest effort at Chepstow suggests he might not have to wait too much longer. Although there were only five runners at the Welsh venue, Hacker Des Places ensured there was a decent pace on right from the start and despite taking a bit of grip in the early stages, it was good to see the son of Schiaparelli stayed on all the way to line to finish just a length behind the winner. Unsurprisingly, given the gallop they went, the time figure came out easily the best on the card and with the winner going on to run a blinder in the Imperial Cup last Saturday week, the form is clearly pretty reliable. Coming out of the race 24 days a days ago unscathed on a mark of 111, he gets another chance to prove he’s a good bit better than that assessment and with today’s bigger field and likely strong pace providing him with the perfect platform to switch off at the back of the pack, the six-year-old can come through late and make the long journey down from his Worcestershire base worthwhile. 

Of the other main market players, Deeper Blue makes far more appeal than favourite Sonigino, now that connections have worked out the best way to ride this keen-going sort is to allow to stride on. Impressive when making all at Fontwell at the weekend, Harry Fry’s gelding won’t be far away from supplying his handler with his seventh winner in the last fortnight.