Thursday Racing Tips From Andy Holding

LION TOWER (best price 33/1) has been chalked up as one of the complete outsiders by the bookmakers, but looking at some of his best form – particularly at today’s track – quotes of 33/1 are a bit of an insult, and for that reason he deserves to be played accordingly.

Placed in two ultra-competitive handicaps on his first two starts on the Knavesmire this campaign during May, Grant Tuer’s gelding gained his due rewards for his endeavours when landing a similar race over a furlong shorter a month later and with the time figures for each race very good, it’s clear that he’s well-suited by a strongly run contest on a galloping track where it often pays to be up with the pace.

Although only ninth on his penultimate start in the Moet & Chandon Handicap at Ascot, the likes of Jumby, Documenting and Orbaan have all gone on to boost the form in valuable handicaps since, so to only get beaten four lengths in a race of that magnitude probably wasn’t as bad as first feared.

Returning to his favourite course buoyed by a victory in a fast time at Redcar last time, a typically prominent ride from his low draw should see the son of Exceed And Excel easily outrun his odds.

LILAC ROAD (best price 9/1) hasn’t quite got the glowing references as some of her rivals, particularly at the very highest level but, as she has shaped like she requires further than 1m2f on recent evidence, William Haggas’ filly just might be capable of raising her game high enough to prove the joker in the pack.

Shaping as though in need of the run after a 205-day break at Newmarket back in May, the four-year-old proved a totally different proposition here next time out when coming through strongly in the closing stages of a well-contested Group 2 affair and with regulars at that level such as Thunder Kiss, Ville De Grace and Noon Star all beaten fair and square on the day, there’s no reason to doubt the validity of the form.

Asked to tackle Group 1 company for the first time in her career at Goodwood last time out, the chestnut couldn’t respond to the turn of foot shown by the eventual winner Nashwa as she swept on by at the two-furlong pole, but to her credit, she rallied in determined fashion to finish a never-nearer third at the finish.  

ARISTROVIC (NAP) (best price 9/2), other than one forgivable run at Leopardstown two starts ago has been a thoroughly progressive three-year-old for connections and arriving here with a performance to suggest she is very much back on track, Johnny Levins’ filly has every chance of repeating her C&D from earlier in the campaign.

A game winner of a Tipperary handicap back in June, the daughter of Awtaad followed up that victory in similar fashion over today’s C&D two weeks later and on the evidence of what we saw of her at The Curragh last time out, it’s more than conceivable she can go in again.

Drawn stall 1 at the Co Kildare venue, the three-year-old ended up having to switch right around the field in order to make her challenge towards the nearside, and although she performed valiantly in face of the stiff task she was set, she ultimately had to settle for a minor role behind the eventual winner Thaleeq, who enjoyed a much smoother passage.

That said, she ended up posting a useful speed figure in defeat and with a return to today’s venue with a bit of cut in the ground set to suit more than most, she makes plenty of appeal at the morning prices.