Friday Racing Tips from Andy Holding

UNANSWERED PRAYERS (best price 5/2) made a more than satisfactory return to action in The Silver Trophy at Chepstow last month and with his attentions now switched to fences following that excellent effort, Chris Gordon’s gelding can make a wining start in his new discipline. 

A smart novice hurdler last season, he managed to score three times in eight starts and although that was a more than respectable return for any horse on his first term under rules, he always left the impression fences is where his future lied.

Rounding off the campaign with a mark of 125, the son of Ocovango was pitched in to the deep end of an extremely hot-looking renewal of one of the features at the Welsh venue’s October fixture and although he ultimately finished just outside the frame, his performance in defeat has to go down as a creditable one. 

Looking likely to shake up the eventual winner, Knapper’s Hill, after the last, it was from that point the six-year-old began to feel the effects of his 174-day break but, given what the winner has gone on to achieve since, not to mention the likes of Lord Baddesley, Masters Legacy and Proschema, his effort deserves the utmost respect. 

A late withdrawal at Newbury last week due to unsuitable ground, this runner-up in Irish points can’t have that as an excuse this afternoon and hailing from a stable that usually have their novice chasers well-schooled, he looks set to start life over fences in the best possible fashion.

MASTER DANCER (best price 9/2) looked a horse going places in a rush when scoring in conclusive fashion at Stratford last time out and, with all the data from the race strongly hinting he could be a good bit better than his current rating of 118, he deserves to be played accordingly despite the competitive nature of today’s assignment. 

A French chase winner for previous connections, the son of Masterstroke lined up at the Midland venue with fairly high expectations that he would go well on his first start from his new base but even allowing for a certain degree of optimism, his end product must have superseded all pre-race hopes. 

Settling nicely just in behind the pace set by the strongly-fancied Parramount, the five-year-old impressed with the way he handled the decent tempo set by the front runner and then when asked to go a seal the deal once rounding the home turn, he found the necessary requirements to not only turn him away, but fend off the late thrust of his other prominent market rival, Donaire.

Not only did he end up producing the fastest overall time on the card, his final circuit splits bettered the other four hurdle races by some way, so when you add those two components together, it suggests we are dealing with quite a useful contest by the track standard for early October. 

To back that view up, Parramount went on to endorse the form by bolting up a Hereford on Monday and with Charlie Longsdon’s horse likely to get somewhere in the 120’s when assessed next week, Master Dancer has the perfect time to strike before his collar gets felt.

A nice big scopey sort with the potential to improve significantly with time, today’s track will hopefully show off his skills to good effect and provide his upwardly-mobile handler with another notable winner. 

There’s a strong possibility Pocket The Packet remains a considerable step ahead of the handicapper judged on his latest offering, but the same can be said about SLIPPIN JIMMY (best price 4/1) and at the prices, the latter makes the most appeal. 

Runner-up on his first outing over today’s course, the way he stayed on over six-furlongs that day strongly suggested he would be better served by further and he went on to back up that view on his next start two weeks later. In what turned out to be a well-run race for the grade, Richard Fahey’s colt proved very tenacious in fending off her main pursuer and with both his two time figures fairing favourable in the context of today’s field, he should be capable of keeping the favourite honest at the very least.

As the market suggests, a typically wide-open 0-80 handicap for the track, but there’s a decent chance both CIOTOG (best price 9/2) and ROMAN DYNASTY (best price 8/1) are likely to play majors roles based on their latest exploits and, as a result, they are taken against the field. 

The former is quickly developing a bit of an affinity with the Dunstall Park venue and if it wasn’t for a troubled passage on his latest visit 11 days ago, he would have surely added to his previous course win.

Held up towards the rear, in hindsight Mark Loughnane’s gelding was probably given too much to do by his pilot and although he did his best to rescue the situation in the latter stages, he ultimately had to settle for an agonising runner-up spot. 

Drawn stall 12 tonight, he will have to bite the bullet and be dropped right out for the second time in succession, but as we saw here last time, he has the turn of foot to get himself out of an uncompromising position if the gaps appear at the right time.

The latter probably isn’t so obvious to the casual observer but a delve deeper into his latest effort at Chelmsford offers up a totally different viewpoint on his chances. Well backed beforehand at the Essex track, the son of Mehmas was noted going well rounding the home turn, but just as he was about to deliver his challenge around the furlong marker, the door got slammed in his face. 

Eased off once his winning chance had vanished, Joseph Parr’s gelding was allowed to come home in his own time but at least it was a performance that offered up plenty of hope for the future. 0-22 since winning here on his debut, he’s clearly not one for maximum stakes, but with the third horse home out of that contest 20 days ago going on to score at tonight’s track the other night, it wouldn’t be the biggest mythical in the world if this four-year-old were to follow suit.