Friday Racing Tips from Andy Holding

BETTY BALOO (NAP) (best price 3/1) was far from disgraced behind a horse potentially well ahead of the assessor on his first start over fences at Market Rasen last time out and with that all-important experience under her belt, Tim Easterby’s mare can show that she remains fairly well treated in her own right. 

The fact that there were only three finishers at the Lincolnshire venue went some way to highlighting the brutality of the gallop set by the eventual winner, so even though the daughter of Schiaparelli couldn’t lay a glove on a horse who was clearly better than the grade, she still managed to post a very commendable set of numbers in defeat.

A three-time winner in bumpers and over hurdles, she has also showed a liking for today’s track and in a race where there doesn’t appear to be too many superstars on show, the consistent seven-year-old looks et for another solid display. 

Time may tell Inneston bumped into a very smart horse at Newbury on his UK debut 13 days ago (beaten 23 lengths), but the same can be said for WESTERN ZEPHYR (best price 2/1) at Ludlow last time out and at the prices, the latter makes far more appeal to bounce back in the right direction. 

A convincing winner on his hurdling debut at the same Shropshire venue, the time figure he posted suggested he’d run to a pretty high standard, so it came as no surprise to see him well supported to repeat the dose on his return visit a month later.

Adopting similar tactics to those previously, Charlie Longsdon’s gelding soon established his position at the head of affairs, but unlike the time before, he couldn’t shake of his main market rival Pembroke, who ended up leaving him for dead in the latter stages (beaten 17 lengths). 

Clearly a buzzy, exuberant type who only knows one way of racing at present, there’s always a risk that the fractions he sets could backfire if getting them wrong, but there’s also no denying he’s capable of setting a relentless gallop nothing can live with and at the morning odds, a chance is taken the latter scenario develops. 

ADAMARIS (best price 9/1) was always likely to find 1m2f on the sharp side on his most recent outing over today’s course but now heading back in the right direction in terms of trip, Gerard O’Leary’s chestnut can maintain the fine recent run of his yard. 

Shaping well despite running out of puff on his first start back after a 289-day break, the son of Born To Sea was well-supported to go two places better on his return to the Co Lough venue next time out and although he came up a little short of the necessary requirements that night, he still posted a reasonable set of figures in what turned out to be a decent contest for the grade.

No match for several in-form performers when dropping significantly in distance here last time, the combination of a much weaker race tonight and extra yardage makes him a decent proposition at the morning odds and he deserves to be played accordingly – especially with some firms offering four and five places. 

Of some of the main players according to the market, it’s worth pointing out Whatharm has questions to ask over the trip, while Mads Black Eight has patently failed to stay 1m4f the two times she’s attempted the trip.