Tuesday Racing Tips from Andy Holding

MAKETH BELEIVETH (best price 5-2) has missed several recent engagements due to unfavourable conditions, but there can be no excuses for Harry Dunlop’s four-year-old with all the recent rain around and he’s fancied to kick off his season in the best possible fashion. 

A game-winner of a 1m4f handicap at Wolverhampton last August, the son of Make Believe didn’t manage to add to his tally in four subsequent starts, but in his defence, he did record his best speed figure on his final outing at Newbury when runner-up to the progressive filly, Secret Shadow. In what turned out to be a proper test at the trip, the four-year-old battled on bravely all the way to the line, and although conditions here this afternoon aren’t going to be anywhere as taxing, the stiff nature of the track will ensure his ability to stay further is likely to prove a key factor. Moreover, the fact George Rooke, who rode him that day, gets the chance to reacquaint himself with his mount has to be seen as another major plus, and at the morning prices, he makes more appeal than most. 

INJAZATI (best price 7-4) ended his three-year-old campaign on a bit of a downer, finishing fifth of the 15-strong field in the Rowley Cup at Newmarket, but prior to that slightly disappointing show, he’d been hugely impressive both visually and on the clock in a hot handicap at Newbury and a repeat of that level of form will see him extremely tough to beat against this far less taxing opposition. 

Making all the running to score on handicap debut at Newcastle, Charlie Fellows’ gelding set out with a similar game plan in mind on his next start at Newbury and his forceful tactics ended up completely killing off his nine rivals. Unsurprisingly, the four-year-old chestnut posted a big figure at the Berkshire track and on the back of that news, he was one of the best-backed horses prior to tackling the strongest middle-distance handicaps for his generation at HQ a month later. Unfortunately for him and his supporters, he couldn’t dominate as he would have wanted in that much more competitive environment and he ended up fading inside the final furlong to finish just outside of the money. That said, in the context of today’s race it wasn’t a bad effort and with the drop back down to his optimum distance of 1m2f seen as a wise move by connections, the strong-galloping colt could take some pegging back from the front.