Wednesday Racing Tips from Andy Holding

It’s probably not a controversial comment to suggest PISTOLETTO (NAP) (best price 4-1) isn’t the most straightforward of characters, but to be fair to current connections, they have done a pretty good job with the mercurial five-year-old in recent times and now back among a more a realistic set of opponents, he’s fancied to make his class shine through. 

Coaxed back to winning form three times towards the backend of last season, the feature of those performances was the way he travelled through each race and even when he got beat, there were viable excuses. Sent out on a globe-trotting mission to Sakhir in a bid to plundered some decent prize money abroad, the trip didn’t quite work out as planned and on his two starts since returning to these shores, he’s been set some pretty stern examinations by his ambitious handler. Although he wasn’t up to the level of the likes of Alenquer and Lord North in an above-average renewal of the Winter Derby here two outings ago, his overall time figure and final circuit sectionals suggested he’d run a career-high by some margin and its that form on his return to the Surrey venue which gives him a cast-iron chance back in ordinary-looking handicap company. To put it plainly, none of today’s rivals would have been able to get within seven lengths of two genuine Group 1 horses over 1m2f and with today’s extra two furlongs more in his range than the two miles he was strangely asked to tackle last time, the five-year-old should be hard to beat if the race is a clean run one. 

SIERRA NEVADA (best price 6-1) ran with a good deal more encouragement than her final finishing position suggested on her debut over today’s course last season and with that initial experience unlikely to be lost on Jessica Harrington’s filly, she can prove that the money in her direction that day was not misplaced. 

Doing her best impression of the Hamlet cigar advert from many years ago (one for a certain vintage), the daughter of the American Pharoah found herself detached from the field in the early stages courtesy of a particularly slow start, but as the pace wasn’t overly strong throughout the first half a mile, she able to make up the lost ground and sit towards the rear of the field. Still last as the runners entered the home straight, it was always going to be a struggle for her to make any discernible headway against smart fillies who were quickening off the front, but to her credit, she did manage to tick quite a few off inside the final two furlongs, learning plenty along the way. Obviously, she’s going to have to break a good deal cleaner in order for her to be more competitive on her return to the Dublin track, but there was enough promise in her overall display once in full cry to suggest she’s as good as the market predicted (sent off 4-1) and this scopey filly from a good winning family is worth another chance to justify her potential star quality.