Monday Racing Tips from Andy Holding

BUG BOY (NAP) (best price 5/2) ran pretty well considering how far back he was at halfway over today’s C&D last time out and with this afternoon’s contest representing a massive drop in grade for Tony Newcombe’s gelding, he’s fully expected to take advantage.

By some way the lowest rated horse in his latest encounter, it was hard to make a solid case out for the son of Big Bad Bob justifying odds as short as 17/2 and although that theory came to fruition, it may have been a different story had things panned out more favourably.

Last turning for home, the six-year-old stayed on in taking fashion to finish just on the coat tails of the main players and considering he was closing down the likes of Silverscape and Sooghan close home, two genuinely solid 80-rated all-weather performers, his effort deserves plenty of praise. 

3315 over today’s C&D since stepped up in trip, the six-year-old looks almost certain to add to that series of positive results at the Sunbury venue and although he’s probably not one for maximum stakes given his win-to-run ratio on the all-weather, he still appeals as the likeliest winner if things pan out a little more favourably than they did last time. 

Shining Al Danah was always likely to be a popular choice among the betting fraternity given her sexy profile, but whether she deserves to be quite so short in the market based on her slightly unconvincing success at Newcastle 52 days ago is open to question. The other thing to note about the favourite is she’s yet to race around a bend, whereas CHERISH (best price 4/1) has plenty of experience – particularly here at Dunstall Park - and it’s that sort of advantage which might just allow Tony Carroll’s mare pull off a bit of a giant-killing act. 

6/13 on the turf, the daughter of Hunter’s Light doesn’t have quite the same strike-rate on the all-weather, but she has managed to score twice on an artificial surface and with one of here victories at the Midland venue making her one only three C&D winners in tonight’s line-up, that’s another factor in favour of the five-year-old. Although beaten on her last two starts here, both her two runner-up spots came via very solid speed figures and there’s no way you could fault her application on either occasion. 

At her best when allowed to come through off a decent pace, obviously she could do with a set-up that suits her run style, but with the favourite or even Amber Dew likely to ensure there’s no hanging around, she’s is fancied to put up a bold bid in a race more wide-open than the market suggests.