Sunday Racing Tips from Andy Holding

Contact delivered the goods for the North here yesterday and there’s a decent chance DARK JEDI (best price 6/1) will follow suit based on his performance at Musselburgh last time out.

A largely consistent middle-distance performer over the last couple of seasons, Tim Easterby’s gelding shaped as though he needed the run his seasonal bow at Doncaster – which is often the case – and that view was enhanced with the way he performed at the Scottish venue a month later. In a strongly run affair, the son of Kodiac proved no match for the easy winner Enemy, but as Ian Williams’ inmate would have won the Group 3 Sagaro Stakes with anything like a clear run at Ascot in midweek, it puts into some sort of context the kind of competition he was dealing with 15 days ago.

Moreover, had he received a clearer passage down the straight, the losing margin of three lengths would have been foreshortened, so to come of that high-class affair with a similar rating has to gone down as slightly fortuitous. A six-year-old who often takes a few runs to reach peak fitness, he should be ready to run to maximum capacity.

FORZA ORTA (NAP) (best price 7/4) made a more than satisfactory return to action at Thirsk 22 days ago and with the form of the 1m4f race he contested working out a treat since, Kevin Ryan’s gelding rates a strong choice to maintain his unbeaten record at today’s track.

Runner-up in his first four races last season, the son of Fastnet Rock was beginning to cut a rather frustrating figure, but he finally laid the ghost to rest with a deserved success when stepped foot on today’s course for the first time. Unfortunately, he got bogged down on heavy ground on his final start of the campaign and although he fared better in a much better race on his opening gambit this term, the surface at the Yorkshire track would have been far from ideal. Despite the conditions, the four-year-old still managed to run a creditable race on the unfavourable part of the track and when you consider the runner-up and fifth have both won since, it was probably a better effort than it appeared at first glance. Back on better ground and likely to be straighter for the run, Forza Orta has plenty in his favour back at the scene of his only career victory.

Having already suggested earlier in the week, Malavath was value pick at the odds available at the time, there’s no obvious reason to go off the French filly at this stage, especially as she’s gone and received a favourable-looking draw, but in a wide open-looking 1000 Guineas with many different angles to ponder, AMEYNAH (best price 14/1) is worth adding to the portfolio.

Hugely promising on her only start as a juvenile, Roger Varian’s filly was expected to build on that initial performance back on the Rowley Mile at the Craven meeting and not only did she deliver the goods in some style, her numbers in winning a seven-furlong maiden suggested she’s potentially pretty useful. In a race run at a generous tempo from the start, she had no trouble going the early pace and then when asked to go and seal the deal coming out of the dip, she found a smart turn of foot to pull readily clear.

Although it seemed a mandatory performance at first glance, the overall time figure revealed it was well above average for a race of its kind and then when you add in the fact she ran the last three furlongs quicker than the likes of Double Or Bubble and Native Trail, the two big Group-race winners on the card, an extra layer of excellence is drizzled on top of the cake. A big, powerful filly with a touch of class, there’s strong possibility that inexperience at this level may find her out, but on the flip side, she does have more knowledge of today’s track than most and potential to improve over the trip, so there’s plenty to balance the argument when looking at her morning odds.