Saturday's Racing Tips from Andy Holding

ART POWER (best price 11/2) ran about as well as expected considering his draw in last race last year, but with the ballot working out seemingly much more in his favour this time around, Tim Easterby’s gelding is strongly fancied to play a leading role. 

Arriving at the Berkshire venue twelve months ago in prime shape courtesy of a smooth success at The Curragh, the son of Dark Angel ended up with gate 20 of the 20-strong field and with the stalls situated over towards the far rail, there was always a good chance he would struggle to give away vital track position. As anticipated, Glen Shiel took the field along at a good clip from stall two and as it panned out, the five-year-old was rather left rowing his own boat in the small group towards the centre. Coming out on top of his own mini-race, he ended up beating the likes of Highfield Princess and Kinross, but unfortunately there were three who got away from him over on the favoured better ground and he had to settle for an honourable fourth. Still, that has to go down as a massively upgradable effort given the circumstances and with his preparation going down a similar path to last season – coming here off a victory in Ireland – the likeable grey has fine chance of adding to his excellent overall record at today’s track. 

A quality line-up of fillies assembled for this Group 1 prize and with the theory anything can happen in these sort of races, LILAC ROAD (best price 16/1) and STAY ALERT (best price 11/1) are taken against the field. 

The former has taken the step up to this level in her stride on her last three starts and her performance when only narrowly failing to get up in the closing stages in a similar contest at Longchamp a month ago has to go down as a career high effort. Proving that she stays 1m4f on soft well at the Paris-based venue, William Haggas’ filly has plenty to recommend under similar conditions here this afternoon and with run style that suggests she will be very much at home over today’s track, she rates one of the better value alternatives to those down the front end of the market. 

The latter has yet to dip her toe into this sort of company but on the evidence of the clock following her latest success at Newbury last time out, she may not be as out of place as the market suggests. Held up off the strong pace set by Fancy Man at the Berkshire venue, the Fastnet Rock filly probably would have won with even more authority had she obtained anything like a clearer run inside the final two furlongs and with several in behind her that day going on to boost the form subsequently, it’s easy to see why connections have been willing to take this bold approach. 

MAROOCHI (best price 4/1) finally gained her due rewards for a series of solid placed efforts when forcing a dead heat with stable companion The Height Of Fame over today’s C&D last time out and with the numbers stacking up nicely in favour of Keiran Burke’s mare from that run, she shouldn’t be too far away from following up on her visit.

Unable to contain the likes of Presenting Pete and The Turtle Said when runner-up on her two previous starts, the daughter of Presenting was well backed to make a breakthrough at the 15th attempt and as it turned out, those who supported her from 11/2 into 84/40 were proved spot on. Coming from some way off the pace in the final circuit, the five-year-old finally wore down her main market rival to share the spoils close home and with the pair well clear, the form looks watertight. Indeed, not only was the race run at a decent clip from the start, Maroochi in isolation managed to run the final circuit over two seconds quicker (roughly ten lengths) faster than the 119-rated Getalead, who took the final race on the card over the same C&D. Based on that info, a mere rise in the ratings shouldn’t be enough to stop her from being a major factor for the second time in succession and she deserves to be played accordingly. 

As ever, a field consisting of the usual suspects over this straight mile and of the two who have shown a liking for the stiff nature of the Berkshire in the past, both ORBAAN (best price 14/1) and TACARIB BAY (best price 14/1) make the most appeal at the morning odds.

The former has always been a pretty tidy individual, but there’s little doubt that at the ripe old age of seven, he’s seemingly better than ever. A brilliant winner of the big mile handicap at Glorious Goodwood, David O’Meara’s gelding has since run a series of fine races in victory and defeat and with one of them resulting in his first success over today’s straight track, that vital commodity is safely parked away neatly in the memory bank. A bit unlucky at York two starts ago, he got going a bit too late when an agonising runner-up t6o the rapidly-improving I’m A Gambler at Goodwood last time out and with the evidence of that display strongly hinting a return to a mile will serve him well, expect his usual late flourish to carry towards the business end with chance of landing another big pot. 

The latter doesn’t have the experience of these sort of events that most of his rivals’ harbour, but he does have a touch of class that will hopefully prove significant in the final analysis. A game winner of a strongly-run seven-furlong handicap at Haydock back in July, Richard Hannon’s colt hasn’t quite cut the mustard on his last two starts in pattern company but as the ground would have been far too lively for him on each occasion, a certain degree of slack is cut when it comes to assessing those efforts. Back on a more suitable surface today and drawn towards what could turn out to be a favoured side of the track (set to race on a fresh strip of ground saved for this meeting), the son of Night Of thunder could well turn out to be a dangerous floater in the first-time blinkers.

A similar contest to the Petingo Handicap run here a month ago and with both GOLDEN TWILIGHT (best price 11/1) and NUSRET (best price 17/2) catching the eye for different reasons that day, the pair are worth siding with returning to the Dublin venue.

The former is probably better known for his exploits at Dundalk, but despite the ground being softer than ideal 35 days ago, he managed to run close to a career high. Sweeping to the front turning for home, it was only the late thrust of course specialist Moracana that prevented Micky Halford’s gelding from having his finest hour, but when you consider the strength of opposition in behind him that day, his performance deserves plenty of credit. The other thing about that solid effort was it proved that he also stayed the trip really well – something he hadn’t showed before – and with today’s ground slightly more in his favour, the son of Dawn Approach should be capable of another bold bid.

The latter finished down the field in the same race 35 days ago, but he gets a massive pass on account of an horrific passage through the latter stages of the contest. Going well enough turning for home, it was from that point Joseph O’Brien’s gelding ran into a wall of horses dropping back into his lap and once his pilot realised he was fighting a losing battle, he was eased off accordingly. Where he would have finished is anyone’s guess, but if you factor in some of his previous performances against some of the best three-year-old stayers either side of the Irish Sea, the son of Goden Horn has to come into the argument with a clear run.