Grand National Festival Tips: Andy Holding's Thursday Racing Tips

LONGSHANKS (NAP) (best price 11-4) has enjoyed a really productive first season over fences and judged on his latest victory at Exeter, his winning spree may not be over just yet.

Not quite good enough for the likes of L’Homme Presse and Gunsight Ridge at the West Country venue earlier in the season, a slight lowering of his sights reaped maximum rewards on his return three months later and once again, he managed to post a smart speed figure into the bargain.

The feature of all his performances both in victory and defeat has been a very likable attitude and having already proven himself over today’s course with an excellent effort behind the progressive Soldier Of Destiny, Philip Hobbs’ gelding rates the clear choice off what still appears a fairly generous mark.

Other than the odd shock, this race tends to go to the classier types at the front end of the market and having finished runner-up in this contest last season, LATENIGHTPASS (best price 9-2) makes a lot of sense in his bid to go one place better on his return visit.

Good enough to finish a creditable fourth in the Cheltenham Foxhunter’s last season, Tom Ellis’ gelding was asked to come and try his luck over the famous Aintree fences only a few weeks later and although he ran an absolute blinder in defeat, maybe the difference between winning and losing was the hard race he endured over 3m2f previously.

Either way, the fact he jumped the fences with aplomb and ran such a commendable race should stand him in good stead twelve months on and the with connections seeing fit to come here fresh rather than potentially leave his race behind him at the Festival, the hint should be taken.

GUNSIGHT RIDGE (best price 8-1) has taken really well to fences and with some of his form holding up to the closest inspection, Olly Murphy’s gelding is fancied to press home the viewpoint that he’s one of the best handicapped horses on show in this typically wide open affair.

Looking as though he just needed the experience first time out over today’s C&D back in November, the son of Midnight Legend was a warm order to back up that view at Exeter next time out, but despite travelling like the best horse in the race, he didn’t have the sufficient stamina to contend with the top-class L’Homme Presse over the 2m3f journey.

Given what the winner has gone on to achieve subsequently, the seven-year-old clearly had no chance on level terms at the West Country venue, but it’s a piece of form, if repeated, should be good enough to see him right in the mix at this level.

Additionally, his next two runs in victory and defeat at Sandown have both suggested he remains on an upward curve and with the chance to race just off the speed a good option for Aidan Coleman to employ, Gunsight Ridge is fancied to maintain his overall record of never finishing out of the first four in any of his ten starts.

Given the success rate of Milton Harris with his bumper horse this season, he should have a fair idea of what it will take to land a race of this nature and in the shape of ROSY REDRUM (best price 4-1), the Warminster handler looks to have the ideal candidate.

Well-backed on debut, the daughter of Pride Of Dubai made light work of her rivals in justifying the confidence in her direction and it was pretty clear at the time that connections had a pretty smart filly on their hands. Pitched into the deep end against the boys at Newbury last time, she ran a remarkable race considering how far she was behind turning for home and the fact she managed to cut down the likes of strongly fancied rivals such as Authorised Speed, Ballyglass, Hullnback And Filanderer points heavily towards her being a potentially top-class filly.

Due to run in the Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival, the heavens that opened on the morning of the race forced connections to pull the plug on that project, but that might turn out to be a blessing in disguise in the sense she will arrive here fresh. A keen sort, the first-time hood has been applied in order to help her settle in the early exchanges and providing that turns out to be the case, the four-year-old chestnut should end up being a massive player at the business end.