Wednesday Racing Tips from Andy Holding

MAKINYOURMINDUP (NAP) (best price 15/8) represents a team that are rounding the season off in some style and having missed several big gigs in order to stay fresh for his final outing of the campaign, Paul Nicholls’ gelding can take this before embarking on what should be a fruitful career over fences. 

Only defeated once in four starts over hurdles this term, the son of Kayf Tara gained revenge on his conqueror at Haydock last time out and even though it turned out to be a hard-fought success, it proved that he is very much progressing along the right lines. 

Having scored at Grade 2 level that day, connections would have no doubt been tempted to let him join stable mate Stay Away Fay in the Albert Bartlett at the Cheltenham Festival, but with their more low-key approach probably the wisest policy in the long term for this future chasing prospect, he’s strongly fancied to justify that decision and stamp his class on proceedings.

SEIGNEUR DES AS (best price 8/1) has shown on a few occasions he’s pretty useful on his day at this sort of level and with conditions more in his favour than they were at Newbury last time, Milton Harris’ gelding has the ability to add to his previous C&D win back in February.

Impressing with the way he travelled before staying on strongly late on to capture that competitive amateur rider event at the Shropshire track, the five-year-old wasn’t able to run to anywhere near the same level in a similar class event 33 days ago, but as persistent race on the day made conditions pretty testing, his slightly below-par effort can be overlooked. 

Back on better ground and in a race that should be run at a reasonable clip, this smooth-travelling type can reward each-way support.

BALLYBAWN BELTER (best price 12/1) found the combination of two miles in an ultra-competitive Grade A environment a bridge too far at Fairyhouse last time out, but with today’s slightly more genteel challenge seen as a decent amount of respite for Liz Doyle’s mare, she’s taken to get back on point at track where she’s gone well in the past. 

A game winner of one of the tougher handicaps run at the DRF, it was easy to see why the daughter of Valirann was one of the forerunners in the betting for her latest assignment but, as it turned out, she just didn’t have the basic speed in the latter stages to cope with the many who were rated beyond the 130 mark. 

That said, she did get badly hampered at a crucial stage rounding the home turn and it’s worth pointing out, she didn’t finish too far behind Tax For Max and Captains Nephew, who both flew the flag for that handicap from the Co Meath venue with distinction here yesterday. 

Runner-up in a 22-strong on her only previous visit to today’s track, on ideal ground and over a trip that should suit, the lightly-raced five-year-old makes more appeal than most to bag another big pot.

Time may tell PEARL ISLAND (best price 4/1) bumped into an above-average type in the shape of Diamond Ri on his debut at Warwick 27 days ago and even allowing for the possibility there could be something lurking in the midst in today’s contest, he’s still worth a small interest to see whether he can build on that respectable initial effort.

In what turned out to be an extremely strongly run race of its kind, Henry Daly’s inmate looked to be going nowhere fast down the back straight, but to his great credit, he did keep on in pretty encouraging fashion in the latter stages to eventually finish a creditable third behind the impressive winner. 

Whether today’s sharper test proves inadequate only time will tell, but he certainly run to a decent enough standard on his opening bow to suggest he’s not devoid of ability and he’s fancied to put his vital experience to good use for local connections.