Wednesday Racing Tips from Andy Holding

NATCHEZ TRACE (best price 13/2) arrives here in terrific form, winning two of his last four starts, and with plenty of solid performances on the turf to match his improvement on the all-weather, Declan Carroll’s gelding can capture the final of this grassroots series.

A winner at Southwell four starts ago, the son of Invincible Spirit was narrowly run out of the argument by the in-form Sophosc back over the same course a month later, but it didn’t take him long to resume winning ways when he made amends at Kempton last time. Adopting a different tactical approach at the Sunbury venue, the normal hold-up policy was ditched in favour of a more positive ride and despite looking vulnerable to the closers on several occasions, he managed to find plenty in reserve down the home straight. Clocking a smart speed figure in the process, the five-year-old now bids to translate his recent all-weather form back to the turf, but safe in the knowledge he has several decent efforts newt to his name over today’s track, there’s no reason why he won’t readapt.

PINAFORE (NAP) (best price 13/8) found the necessary step forward from her promising debut effort at Ascot to offer a more potent challenge at Yarmouth last time out and with the numbers from that display at the seaside venue suggesting it was a decent effort by William Haggas;’ filly, she is likely to prove very hard to beat if taking to this new surface at the first time of asking.

Not knocked about when receiving an educational ride at on his opening gambit at the Berkshire track earlier in the month, the daughter of Dark Angel was well backed to make a bigger impression next time and even though she wasn’t quite good enough on the day to lower the colours of the similarly promising Ananda, she certainly kept her side of the bargain. Looking at the times on that eight-race card 13 days ago, only the 97-rated First Folio managed to run a quicker time than their division of the six-furlong maiden, but then when you take into account their backend sectionals compared to the rest of the action, it’s clear we are dealing with a very useful race of its kind. Easily the pick of those with form, it will a disappointment if she fails to confirm that view unless there’s something special lurking in the unraced category.