Friday Racing Tips from Andy Holding

ELIOS D’OR (best price 7/4) has cut a slightly frustrating figure since winning at Ludlow back in May but, as his latest run here indicates he still remains in decent form, Robert Walford’s gelding is fancied to gain his just rewards for a series of fine placed efforts.

A bit of a course specialist at Today’s Midland venue – as form figures of 1132222 testify – the eight-year-old completed his row of little ducks when chasing home the in-form Clear The Runway here last time out and with the time figure speaking very favourably in the direction of that well-run and competitive seven-runner affair, it’s easy to come to the conclusion that he’d run to a career high. Having run so well out of the handicap in a class 2 event that day, he now runs off his proper mark in a race two grades lower and providing he switches off in the early stages (can race a little keen), the son of Puit D’Or is likely to prove hard to beat at this level.

DOUBLE CHERRY (best price 7/1) was noted doing some good late work last time out in race much tougher than the one he faces today and with the overnight rain just coming at the right time for Tom Ward’s gelding (going likely to be good-to-soft), he rates a strong each-way choice at the morning odds.

An impressive winner in fast time for the conditions at Goodwood earlier in the campaign, the son of Make Believe was strongly fancied to cope with the step up in class in an ultra-competitive three-year-old handicap at Haydock next time, but as it turned out, he fell just short of the mark by only making minor headway from the back of the field late on. Given a 63-day break, he returned to action in a similarly hot contest at Ascot earlier in the month and although he failed to make much of an impact on the main players, his performance had to go down as a step back in the right direction.

Dropped out from his wide draw (11 of 11), he still only had one behind him as the field turned for home, so to end up running on as strongly as he did to finish a never-nearer fourth was a decent effort given the level of opposition. Entered in the Old Rowley Cup at Newmarket in two weeks’ time, connections are probably wise to come here instead as they are at least guaranteed soft ground and with winning pilot Sean Levey back on board, this likeable and improving stayer makes a huge amount of appeal at their morning odds.

POGO (best price 4/1) has a terrific record in these kind of events, particularly at Newmarket, and with the strong possibility of an uncontested lead at the head of affair, Charlie Hills’ inmate has a fine chance of going one place better than he did in this race last season.

112221 on the Rowley Mile and July Course combined, it’s clear his front-running profile suits the run style often witnessed at either track and having put up a brave effort to fend off the top class Benbatl in this race last year, connections are well within their rights to have another crack.

Runner-up on his latest outing to arguably one of the world’s best seven-furlong specialist in the shape of Kinross at York last time out, the six-year-old is holding his form together pretty well and providing he doesn’t get too much pace pressure up front, he could take a bit of pegging back in his bid to make all.

TYPICAL WOMAN (best price 11/4) wasn’t quite good enough to make an impact in a class 3 event at Windsor during one of the recent Racing League events, but it was still a good enough effort to make her of some interest now dropping significantly in class here today.

Posting a decent speed figure in defeat at the Berkshire venue, Ian Williams’ also comes out well on the figures based on her sound effort behind the useful Dal Mallart over today’s C&D earlier in the season and that’s the second time she has run well at the Merseyside track. Looking at the way she’s progressing this season and her form from last year, the patterns suggest she’s a better horse either side of the summer months and with today’s underfoot conditions set to inconvenience her less than most, the daughter of Nathanial can take advantage of her first run in Class 5 company for some time.

Joseph O’Brien has enjoyed a memorable harvest festival so far with no fewer than six winners and the Owning Hill handler has a fine chance of adding to that impressive tally with ZAYNUDIN (NAP) (best price 5/2) in this sought-after amateur prize.

Frustratingly placed on his first five starts, the son of Fastnet Rock returned to the action after a 319-day break in the hope of finally breaking his duck in a maiden at Gowran last month and given the way he ended up winning, it made you wonder how on earth he’d struggled to get his head in front previously. Always travelling well in the hands of Shane Crosse at the Co Kenny venue, the four-year-old found a smart turn of foot in the latter stages of a well-run affair to pull readily clear of his opposition and with the post-race data revealing he’d put in a performance of some substance (his backend sectionals were only bettered by the seven-furlong handicap on the same card), it was little wonder the assessor was quick to alter his rating from 77 to 92 thereafter. Obviously, today’s race offers an entirely different test under much softer conditions to those he encountered 23 days ago, but providing he manages to cope, he’s likely to have far too much speed for today’s opposition.