Tuesday Racing Tips from Andy Holding

OPENING BID (best price 9/2) put up a bold bid to make nearly all the running over today’s C&D last time out and as long as the conditions don’t deteriorate too much in the build up to the contest, another positive outcome should be forthcoming from Chris Down’s gelding.

Having his second start since undergoing a wind op, the son of Native Ruler faced a competitive field of in-form Summer jumping rivals at the Midland venue but, setting a decent tempo from the start, he had all bar Gerard Mentor in trouble going down to the last. Although he kept on well enough on the run-in, he couldn’t quite repel his main challenger, but he did manage to finish nicely clear of the rest, including Karakoram who has gone on to boost the form since.

Clearly fairly well treated at present on the evidence of that display 26 days ago, the seven-year-old has a fine opportunity of following up his success in this race last year.

FAIRWAY FREDDY (best price 3/1) has a decent strike rate for a horse operating at a fairly modest level (7 wins from 30 starts) and with all those victories coming courtesy of small fields, today’s contest provides another ideal scenario for Nick Gifford’s gelding to shine.

A smooth winner at Stratford two start ago when inexplicably allowed to go off 40/1, the son of Elusive Pimpernel was strongly fancied to get the better of what looked a match on paper between Pasvolsky and himself at Plumpton last time out, but unfortunately for his supporters, things didn’t the way expected.

Despite a valiant effort, the nine-year-old just couldn’t quite match his younger rival on the final circuit, but when you consider the time figure of the race came out the best on the card, it probably wasn’t that bad a performance after all.

A proper good ground horse, he therefore wouldn’t want too much more rain during the day, but providing it does stay relatively dry, this likely well-run 2m4f contest should suit him down to the ground.

Barenboim might well prove difficult to beat on returning to the scene of his emphatic C&D victory last week, but whether he should be quite so short in the betting is a moot point and in any case, MY LITTLE QUEENS (best price 12/1) makes fair more appeal as a viable each-way alternative.

A four-time winner on the turf, it’s rather surprising Richard Fahey’s filly has yet to add to that tally in seven starts on the all-weather but had she received anything like a clear run over today’s C&D back in August, there’s a decent chance those stats would look a good deal different. In what turned out to be a competitive and well-run affair, the daughter of Mastercraftsman was noted going as well as anything approaching the final furlong but it was from that point onwards where the door constantly slammed in her face.

Since then, the four-year-old hasn’t quite managed to fulfil the potential of that unlucky effort, but now returning to the Gosforth Park venue facing a drop down in grade, there’s every chance she will end up outrunning her odds.