Wednesday Racing Tips from Andy Holding

There’s no denying Trueshan has been one of the dominant forces in this division for many seasons – especially when he’s encountered his favoured soft ground – but he is rising eight now and it was a little disconcerting to see him beaten at 4-9 on his seasonal return with seemingly everything in his favour. However, Alan King’s inmate is 3-3 at today’s track, so he still deserves the utmost respect, but if he does manage to fluff his lines for the second time in succession, EL HABEEB (best price 17/2) could be the one who takes advantage.

Only beaten four lengths when a creditable sixth in last season’s St Leger, Kevin Philipparte De Foy’s colt rounded off his campaign with a gutsy victory at listed level in the Noel Murless Stakes over today’s course, at the same time, turning the form around with his old rival, Giavellotto.

Sent out to Dubai for his latest assignment, his task looked to be an enormous one based on the class of race (Group1) and the field who took part, but despite being one of the outsiders of the party, he managed to cover himself with glory. Keeping on well in the latter stages after being hampered at a crucial point turning for home, the son of Al Rifai reduced the losing margin down to six lengths at the line and when you consider the likes of Quickthorn, Giavellotto, Trawlerman and Get Shirty were well down the field that day, his performance was decent one in context of today’s race.

Having proven he stays two miles well 39 days ago and, just as importantly, that he handles today’s track previously, the unexposed four-year-old can lay claim to his belonging in this division. 

DUTCH GOLD (best price 5/2) shaped with more promise than the bare result suggested on his seasonal bow at Cork last time out and with a better rub of the green here this afternoon, he can finally get off the mark. 

Promising on several starts as a two-year-old, including when chasing the smart 102-rated Salt Lake City home at Naas, Noel Meade’s inmate looked to have been presented with a fine opportunity to break his duck at the fourth time of asking 12 days ago but through no fault of his own, everything that could go wrong, did go wrong.

Trapped away up the inside going well turning for home, the son of Galileo Gold was desperate for a gap to appear down the straight, but unfortunately for him and his supporters, this failed to materialise and he ended up having to sit and suffer until finally getting out in the clear when the race was practically over.
Finishing off his race with seemingly plenty of running left in his legs, the three-year-old gets another chance to put matters straight and from a good draw, a decent break and track position should see him right in the mix at the business end.

The ratings strongly point to JOUPE (best price 40/1) having an awful lot to find to be a factor against this sort of opposition, but a closer inspection of her latest effort at a similar level suggests otherwise, and at the morning prices, she’s well worth a small interest to see whether that theory comes to fruition. 

A respectable distance away from subsequent Group 2 winner Visualisation over an inadequate trip at Naas on her previous outing, Peter Lawlor’s mare was once again pitched into the white-hot heat of a pattern race at Cork last time out and although her final finishing position suggests she ran to the same sort of standard, she would have undoubtedly got a good deal closer the main players with anything resembling a clear run. 

Constantly denied any room pretty much down the entire home straight, it was noticeable she did pick up nicely once out in the clear late on and on that evidence, she’s most definitely worth another shot to gain the black type connections clearer desire – especially as she’s now racing back under her optimum conditions (1m6f on soft ground). 

To say TIMELESS PIECE (best price 9/4) got a strange ride at Tipperary last time out would be an understatement and with her display not for the first leaving the impression there could be a good deal more to come, a chance is taken she can back up that view on her second handicap start.

An eye-catcher over seven-furlongs at Cork previously, the daughter of Saxon Warrior was quite rightly one of the most intriguing and well-backed contenders on handicap debut at the Limerick Junction track but, after flopping out of the stalls (difficult to say whether it was by design), she found herself in a position where she was never likely to a contender. 

In a race where the pace wasn’t particularly strong from the outset, it soon became apparent her task was an impossible one but to her great credit, she did make up some noticeable late headway to finish on the coat tails of the main players and considering she did so without being subject to anything like a hard ride, her performance deserved extra praise. 

On the evidence of that effort – and her run before – there’s no doubt this lightly-raced filly has more ability than her rating and form figures currently suggest and providing stall one doesn’t end up being the poisoned chalice it can be as the card progresses at today’s venue (runners tend to come wide into the straight, favouring the high draw), she has a decent chance of finally breaking her maiden tag. 

DELLA MARE (best price 4/1) produced a pretty decent effort considering her negative draw over today’s C&D last time and now much better off in the ballot with her old rival Agapanther, the tables are very much in favour of Tony Carroll’s mare turning around the form. 

Posted out in stall 12 at the Sunbury track a month ago, she was always likely to struggle and what compounded matters was the fact she was forced to cover even more ground on account of her inability to get herself smuggled into the pack. 

Considering the amount of distance she covered compared to the rest and the energy she expended in doing so, to run on as well as she did in her attempt to reel in her more favourably-positioned marker rival is testimony to her never-say-die attitude and now with a complete roll reversal on the draw front, the daughter of has the perfect platform from which to settle a few scores.