Saturday Racing Tips from Andy Holding

A trappy start to the card, but both HMS PRESIDENT (best price 7-1) and JUAN DE MONTALBAN (best price 8-1) have a body of work to suggest they can play a crucial role in the final outcome and they are taken against the field at the morning prices.

The former, as it always the case, shaped as though he would be better for the run on his season return at Musselburgh three weeks ago, but at least it served the purpose of getting him cherry-ripe for today’s assignment. As it turned out, the race in question was also a very strong one on the numbers for the grade, so that has to be factored in as well, and it’s noticeable that he scored on his second start of the season last year. In the frame on both his two visits to today’s track, Eve Johnson Houghton’s gelding looks poised for another prominent show.

The latter was also involved in a pretty hot heat first time off the bat this season at Thirsk and given that he, too, shaped as though he would come on quite a bit for the outing, it makes sense to keep him on side. Holding every chance two out, the son of Lope De Vega couldn’t maintain his run all the way to the line, eventually fading into fourth, but as the second and the third have both gone on to advertise the form of that well-run affair at the Yorkshire venue since, his effort was clearly a good bit better than it appeared at the time. Likely to be better suited by today’s galloping track, Kevin Philippart De Foy’s gelding is likely to have some sort of say in the final outcome.

HONEST VIC (best price 7-1) ran well for an awful long way in the Pertemps Final at the Cheltenham Festival last time out and if there’s enough lead in his pencil for one final hurrah, Henry Daly’s gelding has sufficient qualities to make his presence felt.

Henry Daly’s gelding had been flirting with fences during the early part of the season, but following a poor round of jumping at Cheltenham in January, that project was shelved in favour of going back over hurdles. Qualifying for the final of the three-mile handicap series courtesy of finishing fifth at Huntingdon later in the month, the son of Kalanisi looked like he was going to capture his ultimate goal until a bad mistake at the last totally derailed his bid, but the fact he had a quality field of handicappers flat to the boards up until that point, is testimony to his ability. Although he clearly goes well over a stiff track, he’s just as effective on sharper ones, and then when you consider he also has the ground very much in his favour, the nine-year-old makes quite a bit of appeal at his morning odds.

MAKETH BELIEVETH (best price 5-2) shaped as though he badly needed the run at Pontefract first time out and with today’s extra yardage also seen as a positive, Harry Dunlop’s gelding is fancied to get back on the winning trail.

A game winner at Wolverhampton last season, the son of Make Believe has run many decent races in defeat since and his latest effort at the Yorkshire venue underlines his overall progress. Always handy in a well-run contest 32 days ago, the four-year-old looked one of the most likely winners as the field turned for home, but once meeting the rising ground, he just began to feel the effects of his 165-day break and he ended up getting overhauled by the strong-finishing Magna Moralia. Back over a trip today that allowed him to post his best set of figures at Newbury last season, this unexposed type can take this prize before going on to much better things.

ANNA BUNINA (best price 6-1) impressed with the way she went about her work when landing the Scottish Champion Hurdle at Ayr a month ago and there appears no obvious reason why John McConnell’s mare won’t be a big player in this similar environment.

A mare that is reliant on decent conditions, she therefore has her campaign geared around races either side of the deep ground in the middle of winter and that policy has reaped maximum rewards in recent times. Indeed, her wellbeing was never more noticeable than it was 35 days ago when she showed a smart turn of foot from the last hurdle to totally overpower her main market rivals and when you consider she was badly hampered on the approach to the final obstacle, she performance deserves even more praise. Clearly suited to a sharp, left-handed circuit on good ground, every is in place for her to excel again.

OCEANS RED (NAP) (best price 6-4) a clocked a set of numbers far removed for a horse of his grade at Bangor last time out and providing he returns to action anywhere near close to the same level of form, Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerrieo’s gelding will be very difficult to beat.

Upped in trip to three miles for the first time at the Welsh venue, the son of Yorgunnabelucky was always going well in what turned out to be a strongly run affair and once assuming command coming out of the back straight, his toiling rivals were just purely play things in the final half a mile. Winning with his ears pricked, the six-year-old still ran the final circuit quicker than the 119-rated Cenotice - who landed the two-mile handicap chase an hour earlier - so based on that data, a slight hike in the ratings barely scratches the surface. Just to advertise how good the race was for a Class 5 0-105 handicap, even the sixth horse home that day, Ajay’s Ways, has managed to score since despite getting thrashed 47 lengths, and with his favourable good ground here this evening also offering more caused for optimism, it would be a bitter disappointment to all concerned if this lightly-raced chestnut couldn’t take care of tonight’s opposition.