Saturday Racing Tips from Andy Holding

LUCKIN BREW (best price 3/1) created a very favourable impression on her debut over today’s C&D at the July meeting and with the strong possibility of a good deal more to come, the daughter of Lope De Vega can continue the excellent run of her handler in the two-year-old fillies’ department. 

Well-touted prior to her opening bow at HQ, Ralph Beckett’s filly got caught a little flatfooted when the tempo increased at the three-furlong pole, and although she made a decent job of trying to make up the deficit in the closing stages, she didn’t have enough real estate left to peg back the front-running Alseyoob. Going on strongly at the finish, she was also not knocked about to do so, and with that kindness afforded likely to be healthily repaid in the long term, this sister to the yard’s Antonia De Vega can follow in the footprints of the likes of Lezoo, Funny Story, Fox Degree and Dandy Alys in recent times. 

HMS PRESIDENT (best price 16/1) can easily be forgiven his blip at Newmarket last time out due to almost being brought down and now back at a track that saw him post his best performance of the season so far, Eve Johnson Houghton’s gelding can prove his double-figure quotes are a little off the mark. 

Sent off at 28-1 at HQ despite winning cosily over today’s track previously, the five-year-old was noted going well just on the heels of the leaders when he stumbled and almost got rid of his pilot at the two-furlong pole. Eased down thereafter, hopefully we won’t suffer any ill effects after that nasty incident as some of his form earlier this season has been useful enough to put him in the mix here today. Fourth to Contact at Haydock three starts ago, he had subsequent winners Reshoun and Forza Orta behind him that day and his previous performance when filling out that same position behind Juan De Montalban at Ascot has also worked out well. A horse reliant on fast ground, the booking of Ryan Moore adds extra spice to his claims. 

As we saw here yesterday, David O’Meara knows what buttons to press when it comes to keeping older horses sweet and in the shape of SUMMERGHAND (best price 14/1), the Yorkshire handler has a decent chance of landing another big pot at the meeting. 

Winner of this race two years ago off an 8lb higher mark, it’s been over twelve months since the eight-year-old last got his head in front, but on the evidence of his last two starts, he’s not a million miles off his best. Sixth a hugely-competitive six-furlong handicap at York back in May, the son of Lope De Vega was sent to Ascot on his most recent outing to see whether he could finally land the Wokingham (runner-up in 2020) and even though he couldn’t quite land a blow at the main players at the Berkshire venue, a staying-on fifth of the 26-strong field still goes down as a creditable effort. Unlucky in last season’s renewal and showing no signs of deterioration of late, the 66-race veteran can reward each-way support. 

FOREST FALCON (NAP) (best price 4/1) opened the meeting up with a pretty impressive victory in an ultra-competitive 1m2f handicap and providing that performance hasn’t taken too much out of Mark Johnston’s gelding, he can once again show off his qualities back at a track that clearly suits. 

Racing wide early from his outside draw, the Raven’s Pass gelding soon joined the main group and after travelling supremely strongly all the way down to the cutaway two out, he quickened up smartly to put daylight between himself at the rest. Winning without being fully extended, the four-year-old left the impression there was more under the bonnet if required and with today’s assignment too good an opportunity to pass up, a performance of a similar ilk should make him hard to beat for the second time in four days. 

The rain which has fallen in the last 24 hours has certainly altered the landscape to many of these big-field handicaps but both EXCUZIO JOE (best price 3/1) and MISS MOLLY T (best price 18/1) should be least inconvenienced than most and they are taken against the field. 

The former has already proven her suitability to today’s track with C&D victory back in October 2020 and based on her performance here the other night, she’s not a million miles away from the same level of form. Held up just off the speed going well turning for home, the daughter of Epaulette was screaming for room around the inside, but as is often the case at Ballybrit, she didn’t get the breaks when required and by the time she’d been shifted out wide, several birds had already flown. That said, she hit the line in the sort of fashion that would have no doubt pleased her set of connections and with this race the only logical choice left for her this week, it would be no surprise if Matthew Smith’s mare added to her trainer’s impressive Festival results. 

The latter doesn’t have such obvious claims on form, but there were more encouraging signs than the bare result suggested on her latest start at Tipperary and at the morning odds, she’s well worth a punt to build on that promising effort. Held up towards the rear from her wide draw (17 of 17), Gerard Keane’s mare turned for home last at the Limerick Junction track, but she did catch the eye with the way she finished off her race down the wide outside and that performance is a sure sign she’s returning to something approaching her best. Interestingly, her only victory was achieved when she made all over seven-furlongs on soft ground at Leopardstown two years ago, so if she breaks well from her inside gate here today, it’s not beyond the realms of possibility she can easily outrun her odds.