Wednesday Racing Tips from Andy Holding

JUDGE EARL (NAP) (best price 2/1) has seemed more comfortable in his work since returning to three miles in recent times and with his latest effort over today’s C&D going a long way to back up that viewpoint, Peter Bowen’s gelding looks set to repeat the dose. 

Always against the cosh in his bid to reel back the front-running Princess Midnight over 2m4f here back in June, the son of Court Cave soon made amends when upped in trip at Uttoxeter next time out and since then, he’s pretty much kept going in the right direction.

Probably unsuited by the sharp nature of Stratford two starts ago, the 10-year-old was seen to better effect back around a more galloping circuit eight days ago and from the moment he picked up the running at the sixth, he never looked like relinquishing the lead.

Time-wise, his performance on the clock was as good as anything he’s achieved in the past and with today’s opponents seemingly no tougher on paper, it would be a surprise if this in-form chaser doesn’t put up another bold bid at a venue that clearly plays into his strengths. 

The combination of a wide draw and seven furlongs on soft ground just count out IRIS DANCER (best price 2/1) in the closing stages of her latest exploits at Musselburgh, but now returning to a C&D which has to be regarded as her optimum, Tristan Davidson’s filly rates a fairly solid option against her own sex. 

Yet to run a bad race in nine visits to the Scottish venue, the daughter of probably just found the ground on the lively side for her likely here back in June, but prior to that average display, she was seen to much better effect with some juice underfoot.

Staying on in game fashion that day, she managed to defeat the likes of Hyperfocus, Ballyare, Glorious Rio, Yukon Mission and Ramon De Loria, who have all won since and with the time figure also backing up the validity of the form, a repeat of something similar should be good enough to make her extremely tough to beat in a race of this nature. 

PILLAR OF STEEL (best price 7/2) and BRANSON MISSOURI (best price 5/1) both performed to a decent standard in their respective races here last week and with the two meeting in the middle trip-wise, the pair are taken against the field. 

The former has plied her trade by-and-large over two miles throughout her career but, as she has sometimes indicated that a step up in trip might be a better option – particularly on her last three starts – the seven-year-old mare is worth a small interest as she puts that theory to the test.

Looking sure to be third at best approaching the final flight here last week, the daughter of Shirocco finished off her race with such a rattle it would be a brave man to suggest she wouldn’t have won with an extra furlong or so and considering the standard of that contest was a good deal tougher than the one she faces this evening, she should find this sort of  gentile environment more to her liking. 

The latter is going in the other direction, dropping back in trip from the 2m7f journey she faced on her first visit to the Midland venue, and that switch should also bear fruit. Unable to go with the front two in what turned out to be a very good contest of its kind here eight days ago, Shaun Lycett’s mare did more than enough to encourage her new set of connections going forward and with her also likely to be all the better for that first outing for 69 days, she’s fancied to easily outrun her odds.