Thursday Racing Tips from Andy Holding

HENRI LE BON (best price 11-2) wasn’t quite good enough to cope with Punctuation at Warwick two starts ago, but he shaped a good deal better in a slightly less taxing environment at Ffos Las last time out and a repeat of a similar level of form should be good enough to see Kerry Lee’s gelding go close to finally getting off the mark.

Disappointing twice over fences, the son of Sea The Stars was switched back to hurdles after a 52-day break and although he ended up getting beaten 15 lengths at the Midland venue, time has subsequently told us he had about as much chance of nailing a blancmange to the ceiling as beating Fergal O’Brien’s extremely well handicapped winner. Back down to Class 5 company a month later, the seven-year-old impressed with the way he travelled through the contest, so even though he ended up just getting run out of the argument after the last, there was a good deal more positivity to be taken from his performance. Taking into account his pilot’s claim, he now runs off a mark of just 91 and hailing from a yard that has finally clicked into gear of late, this lightly-raced sort can reward each-way support.

CHANGING THE RULES (best price 15-8) has shaped with a conspicuous amount of promise on both of his two starts to date and with today’s task considered a good bit more straightforward than the one he faced at Naas last time out, Jessica Harrington’s gelding is strongly fancied to make that all-important breakthrough. 

Looking as though the experience would do him the world of good on his debut at Fairyhouse, the son of Walk In The Park was fancied in some quarters to make more of an impact at the Co Kildare venue a month later and although that view failed to materialise, he actually did more in terms of his future prospects. Held up towards the rear of midfield, the five-year-old managed to latch himself on to the coat tails of the main players turning for home and although he ultimately made no further inroads, he kept on quite nicely without being unduly punished. A really scopey individual with a touch of quality, connections will no doubt have him down as a future chaser, but in the meantime, he can more than pay his way over hurdles and it would come as a bit of a surprise if he wasn’t massively competitive in a race of today’s nature over a trip that should bring about further improvement.

INDIE BELLE (NAP) (best price 2-1) was narrowly denied her second win in as many starts at Leopardstown last time out, but on the evidence of that display she still remains in excellent heart and she’s given another chance to gain compensation in the hands of crack amateur Jamie Codd.

Just outside the fringes of the action on two starts at Tramore either side of Christmas, Robert Widger’s mare returned to the fray after a 53-day break at Punchestown two runs ago and, having travelled well throughout, she ended up running out a convincing winner after her main danger at the time, The Dreams Alive, capsized two out. Well-backed for a repeat bid at the Dublin venue the following month, once again the daughter of Flemensfirth impressed how she breezed through the race and it was only the strong finish of the eventual winner that denied her another decent pot. That said, the front two pulled well clear in a reasonable time for the grade and with the overriding impression being she still has the feel of a well-handicapped horse off a mark of 93, the five-year-old chestnut deserves to be played accordingly.