Saturday Racing Tips from Andy Holding

REDARNA (best price 7/1) has held his form together pretty well for most of the season and with the strong possibility the eight-year-old will be capable of running somewhere close to his best at a track where he has very fond memories, Dianne Sayer’s gelding can reward each-way support. 

Other than one below-par effort at York – a track he doesn’t particular like looking at his overall record – the son of Aqlaam has been pretty much on the money in each of his four other starts and, right from winning the Thirsk Hunt Cup back in May to finishing runner-up at Ascot last time out, all his performances have been backed up by the clock. Amazingly for a horse with a record over today’s course of 111124171, he’s yet to step foot on the Scottish venue this season, but with that oddity put right here this afternoon, another positive outcome looks a distinct possibility. 

Sakheer is undoubtedly one of the most exciting juvenile sprinting prospects we’ve seen in recent months and, given his time figure he posted at Haydock last time out, it’s easy to see why he’s been all the rage in the build up to this Group 2 contest (opened 5/2 in the ante-post lists). Of his main rivals, the market very much suggests Shouldvebeenaring is the most likely to provide him with most to do, and while that may well turn out to be the case, it also wouldn’t come the biggest shock in the world if the supposed second string from the Hannon ranks, WALLOP (best price 9/1), were to prove the joker in the pack. 

The son of Harry Angel is difficult to assess in some respects having only had the one run, but it came against some top class opposition in what looked an above-average novice event at Newmarket back in July, so there’s every chance he won’t be totally out of his depth here this afternoon. Noted traveling well just in behind the pace at HQ, the 150k purchase quickened just as smartly alongside the likes of the proven pair Noble Style and Mill Stream inside the final two furlongs and although he didn’t quite see it out as well as the first two close home, his effort in finishing a close-up third still has to go down as hugely encouraging. Not seen out since, it has to be significant to a certain degree that connections have resisted the temptation to find an easy maiden in order to come straight here and with the winner of that race 50 days going on to advertise the value of the form in the Gimcrack next time, this once-raced colt might not be a million miles off the main players as the market suggests. 

The bookmakers are clearly intent in taking no chances with obvious form pick, Lowther runner-up, Oueen Me, but as a result of her tight price, there are plenty of other decent options at more rewarding odds. First port of call in that category is ALL THE TIME (best price 11/2), who has an equally compelling pattern-race profile courtesy of her fine effort in the Group 3 Dick Poole Stakes at Salisbury last time out. 
Carrying forward a win in a fast time from Chester previously, Simon & Ed Crisford’s filly had the small matter of stall 10 to overcome at the Wiltshire venue and although she did her level best in the circumstances, she ultimately found one just too good on the day. That said, had she not continuously lug out to her left throughout the well-run contest she may have ended up taking away the main prize and with that effort going a long way to suggest she’s easily up to this sort of class, another massive display looks on the cards from this upwardly-mobile juvenile. 

Another filly who is going very much in the same direction is BONNY ANGEL (best price 5/1) and although this race is a far cry from the opposition she hung out to dry at Doncaster last time out, there’s every reason to believe she could easily nick some black type at the very least. The way she left her rivals for dead on Town Moor was in the style of a potential pattern-race performer and with connections wasting no time in seeing whether that theory comes to pass, Clive Cox’s inmate is fancied to shoot from the hip for the third time in succession.

Not that many arrive here at the peak of their powers, but the same can’t be said about SWELLTIME (best price 11/4) and for that reason, the six-year-old rates the obvious approach in this two-mile handicap. 

Since being victorious over hurdles at Kilbeggan two months ago, the son of Born To Sea has gone on the rampage on the Flat and with two of his most recent performances coming over today’s Co Meath venue, his association with the track should stand him in fine stead back in this discipline. Although beaten on his latest effort, soft ground was probably the main reason why he failed to follow up his previous C&D win, bit with conditions this afternoon very much back in his wheelhouse, he has what appears a golden opportunity to strike right back.

RAJINSKY (best price 11/2), sixth in last season’s Cesarewitch, has clearly been targeted at some of the best staying handicaps this term and with today’s race seen as a stepping stone towards the big one in a month’s time, a likely positive performance should see him cherry-ripe in his bid to better his finishing position. 

A dual winner over two miles last term, Hugo Palmer’s gelding rounded off his productivity with arguably his best effort in defeat and with that performance behind the likes of Buzz and Burning Victory back up by the time figure he generated, we know he has the stomach for the big occasion. Continuing the same theme so far this campaign, his victory first time out over the hugely-improved Get Shirty was a sign of things to come and his last two runs when placed in the Chester Cup and Northumberland Plate respectively have only further endorsed his profile. Although arriving here off an 84-day break, the fact that promising apprentice Harry Davies has been called upon to help ease the burden of top weight has to be seen as a positive signal of intent and with the six-year-old very much seen as the class act of today’s field, it will be disappointing if he’s not bang there at the finish.