Following two winners yesterday, Andy Holding is back with six tips for today's action, including a NAP at Ayr.
13:50 Sandown
As is often the case, an incredibly competitive renewal of the final of this EBF series but there’s a decent chance that both INNESTON (best price 10/1) and TWIN POWER (best price 16/1) can put their vital track experience to good use.
The pair fought out the finish of a similar contest at the Esher venue 23 days ago and on that evidence, there isn’t a great deal to choose between them. The former just came out on top of a protracted dual from the last, but it could have gone either way and a good deal depend on which one of the dup handles today’s much softer conditions.
Gary Moore’s gelding is definitely going the right way based on his overall profile and being a half-brother to Delta Work, you’d like to think a stamina test would suit him better than most.
The latter has improved markedly since the fitting of a tongue-tie and he’s the only one in today’s field who has run over the C&D twice. Too strong for one of today’s rival, Twinjets, here a month ago, his effort in defeat last time reads just as good and with testing conditions not a bother to him either, a good, solid effort looks highly likely.
14:05 Wolverhampton
ALREHB (best price 7/1) doesn’t possess a huge body of work over today’s trip, but he did run to an extremely high standard when scoring over Southwell’s mile journey last time out and, combined with the fact he’s 1-1 over today’s course, those two factors might be enough to allow Kevin Philippart De Foy’s grey to land his biggest pot so far to date.
Arriving at the Midland venue following a 121-day break, you could have forgiven the son of War Front if he was a little rusty after his break, but it turned out, it mattered not one jot as he captured his biggest prize to date with some panache.
Racing just behind the leaders as the field turned for home 47 days ago, the six-year-old showed a useful turn of foot to join the front rank just over a furlong from home and in staying on strongest of all from that point, he claimed the scalps of many top-quality all-weather performers.
Unsurprisingly, given the nature of the race and the pace set, the overall speed figure was extremely good and with today’s gallop not expected to dip below what he’s accustom to, he should be in a position whereby he can do some damage in the home straight.
14:25 Sandown
As we’ve seen in recent times, the Irish are more than adept at coming over and pinching big prizes from under the noses of the home contingent and, it could well be that either ZOFFANY BAY (best price 15/2) or MAN O WORK (best price 9/1) are up for another smash and grab raid.
The former is a tricky one to assess in many respect, but on the evidence of his first taste of British handicaps at Ascot recently, he looks more than up to scratch. The only one capable of going with the rapidly-improving Irish Hill in the latter stages of a keenly-contested affair, he may have pulled off the 25/1 shock had he not been a little fresh in the first mile, but given that race was his first run for 700 days, he’s entitled to come on a good deal for the run.
Seen to good effect on heavy ground in his native France, today’s testing conditions should be right up his street and with his tendency to lean to his left not seen as a bad thing if he lugs over and heads for the better ground towards the nearside fence up the straight, his chances look fairly clear cut.
The latter isn’t a household name by any means – certainly not with most UK punters – but he does bring a fair level of decent Irish form to the party and he must have some sort of squeak based on the pick of his efforts.
Runner-up in the competitive Lartigue Hurdle at the Listowel Festival, he left the impression he may have won that day but for going around the slowest part of the track and his subsequent performance in another red-hot race at Fairyhouse also reads well in the context of today’s race.
A heavy ground winner at Limerick last season, he will be less inconvenienced by the ground than most and can go well at rewarding odds.
14:45 Ayr
CAPTAIN QUINT (NAP) (best price 9/4) has had to take on some pretty smart novices in his short time over fences and, having shown a fair degree of ability in each of his five starts, today’s slightly less taxing contest than of late represents a decent opportunity for him to return to winning ways.
A tidy winner on chasing debut at Hexham back in November, Rose Dobbins’ gelding went on to unseat his rider on his next start at Newcastle before running a sound race over today’s C&D behind two useful sorts who simply outpaced him in the final half a mile.
Filling out the same position at Kelso next time, the form of that race at the Borders venue has worked out particularly well since, with the likes of Bill Baxter and Ned Tanner, both winning since and his latest effort when runner-up to subsequent winner One Fine Man reads well in the context of today’s contest.
A little scruffy over the last when in the lead at the Cumbrian venue, the mistake allowed the eventual winner to strike back on the run-in, but with the pair well clear of the rest and the speed figure working out the best on the card, a repeat of something similar should see the son of Flemensfirth right in the mix at the business end.
