Sunday Racing Tips from Andy Holding

A competitive-looking maiden with a few unknown quantities, but of those who have had a run and might put their valuable experience to good use, ODIN OWNS YOU ALL (best price 2/1) and NUKETOWN (best price 9/2) are worth playing against the field.

The former was set a stiff task on his debut after being dropped out from his wide draw but, despite racing freely in the rear and expending energy, he still managed to run a race full of promise.

Going on strongly at the finish, Michael Bell’s gelding left the impression he would know a good deal more next time and with the sporting of a hood likely to help him relax a little more this time around, he has enough quality based on his first effort to make a big impact.

The latter also did his chances very few favours by totally blowing the start on his debit over today’s course, but there was more than enough from Ed Bethell’s colt towards the business end of proceedings to suggest he has a decent future. 

Once his pilot accepted his winning chance had gone, it was a case of educating the son of Oasis Dream without giving him an unnecessary hard time and with that part of the deal executed to perfection, he should have more to offer with a more alert beginning on his return visit. 

SHALAA ASKER (best price 2/1) has run with great credit in two hot races for the grade at Southwell recently and the form from both working out well since, Adrian Keatley’s gelding is fancied to keep the momentum of his stable going in the right direction. 

Considering his talent – particularly in the early part of his career – the son of Shalaa has a poor win-to-run ratio, but there have been more encouraging signs of late and his victory at Southwell four outings ago go hand-in-hand with that view. 

Since then, the five-year-old has been noted doing some good late work in tougher handicaps back at the Midland venue and with the most recent of his efforts coming at the hands of the bang-in-form Justcallmepete, his performances in defeat have to go down as being pretty commendable. 

Well-treated on the pick of his best form and going back to a track that has served him well in the past, he makes plenty of appeal at the morning odds even accounting for the fact he faces a smart opponent in the shape of Walking On Clouds.

KANOOD (best price 7/4) has shaped as though his winning turn is just around the corner on his first two starts of the campaign and with today’s trip of 1m2f very much his optimum, Fawzi Nass’ gelding can add to his tally out in the desert. 

Having raced exclusively outing in Dubai all his career, he’s become very accustom to how races are run at Meydan, but as it turned out, nothing really went right for him on his most recent outing 14 days ago. 
Held up towards the rear, in-keeping with the way he likes to be ridden, the son of Distorted Humor was noted still going extremely easily rounding the home turn, but unfortunately for him and his supporters, he got caught up in a bit of traffic down the straight and by the time he’d extracted himself from the pocket, the winner had flown. 

Hitting the line really hard, he left the impression he would be an even more potent force over further and with today’s slight extra yardage a welcome addition to his chances, the seven-year-old chestnut is fancied to bring it home in this similar affair.