Monday Racing Tips from Andy Holding

Anthony Honeyball’s team seems to be in full working order at present and FORTUNA LIGNA (best price 5/2) looks to have a fine chance of adding to the list of recent winners for the Dorset handler. 
Good enough to finish third of 16 in a listed bumper behind the smart Queen’s Gamble at Cheltenham back in November, it’s probably fair to say the daughter of Soldier Of Fortune hasn’t quite made the impact expected so far over hurdles, but at the same time, each run has come with a degree of promise.

Fourth on her debut behind subsequent winner Churchills Boy over today’s C&D, where her jumping was pretty good for a first timer, unfortunately a couple of early slow leaps put her on the back foot when going on to fill out the same position back against her own sex at Wincanton last time out.
Probably better off going left handed on the evidence of that display, she in now in an environment where she should be much more at ease and, having been handed what appears a workable mark of 103 for her handicap debut, the lightly-raced six-year-old can finally deliver the goods.

PRECISION STORM (NAP) (best price 7/2) can be deemed a shade unlucky not to land at least one of his last two races but providing things pan out a little more favourably for Mark Loughnane’s gelding on his return to his happy hunting ground, his consistency looks set to be rewarded. 

Impressing with the way he travelled at the Dunstall Park venue in a class 4 event back in December, unfortunately the combination of having to challenge wide off the home turn and give the in-form Capital Theory a sizeable head start ultimately cost him the prize, but at least it was a performance to suggest he was coming back to the boil.

Back over the same C&D last time out, once again the grey son of Dragon Pulse was held up towards the rear of the field and even though he looked to face an impossible task as the field turned for home, he came home strongest of all (23.2 compared to the winner’s 24.3 for the last two furlongs) to only narrowly fail to pull off an unlikely victory. Time-wise, the race in question was one of the best of its kind in recent months and with the fifth home, Outbreak, going on to score in a hot contest at Lingfield Saturday, the form has already been given an immediate boost.

Likely to be given time to find his stride again on his return visit, the six-year-old will need the breaks at the right time if he is to be successful, but as we’ve witnessed on his last two starts, he has a terrific turn of foot once in full cry, so it’ll be just a case of Becky Smith pressing the right buttons at the right time.