Saturday Racing Tips from Andy Holding

FARASI LANE (best price 9/2) went down one blind alley after another in an ultra-competitive handicap at Lingfield on Good Friday last time out and he is worth another chance to make amends at a track where he has gone well in the past. 

Clocking a smart speed figure when beating many in-form handicappers in a ultra-competitive heat at Southwell in March, Tom Ward’s gelding was attempting 1m2f for the first time in his career at the Surrey venue a month later and there’s little doubt he would have gone close to being an instant impact at that trip had he not being severely hampered at various stages down the home straight.

Finishing hard on the bridle, it is fair to say the five-year-old remains in decent shape on the evidence of that display and with his favoured cheekpieces in operation again, he should not be too far away with plenty seemingly in his favour.

MAJESTIC (best price 5/1) shaped well in the Lincoln on his opening gambit to this season and having posted his best set of numbers courtesy of his C&D victory in the Cambridgeshire here on his final outing of last term, Jack Channon’s gelding looks the logical solution to this similar contest. 

Always to the fore in what turned out to be a well-run contest on Town Moor, the five-year-old did best of those who raced up with the early speed and considering the heavy ground in attendance 35 days ago would not have been entirely to his liking, he comes out of the race with great credit.

Looking back on his finest hour over today’s C&D, it is worth remembering the speed figure he posted in defeating a stellar field of handicappers and being one of the few in the field who is proven in such an environment, the son of Conduit ticks pretty much every box when it comes to the decision-making process.

DOCTOR CHURCHILL (best price 18/1) failed to trouble the judge in a hugely competitive handicap at the Punchestown festival 10 days ago, but he did more than enough good late work to warrant a small interest in these slightly less choppy waters.

Still in last position at the halfway stage after slightly missing the break, the five-year-old still had a mountain to climb coming out of the back straight at the Co Kildare venue, but in finishing his race off best of all, he managed to pass 18 of his rivals in the final half a mile to only get beaten four lengths. 

Pulled up in his final two starts for Gordon Elliott, it is probably fair to say new connections have done a fair job of getting back to something like his best based on that encouraging effort and with the distinct possibility he may improve on his first run for 102 days, the son of Mukhadram makes plenty of appeal at the morning prices. 

ARIZONA CARDINAL (best price 8/1) is one of the most unexposed members of today’s field and, having also shown a liking to the Midland venue based on three previous visits, Stuart Edmonds’ gelding has plenty of things going for him on his return to his happy hunting ground. 

Successful on his first start over fences at Bangor at the beginning of last season, the seven-year-old has not managed to add to his tally since, but he did show he was heading back in the right direction at Southwell on his return after a 107-day break last time out and that improved effort holds out plenty of hope for his chances today.

A winner over hurdles at the Midland venue in the past, he has also finished in the money on his two other visits and with today’s good ground seen as the ideal conditions for him to shine, his morning odds seem more than acceptable. 

A potentially vintage 2000 Guineas in prospect with so many high-class colts on show, made even more complex on account of several of the main players unproven at the trip. Little Big Bear and Sakhee, for instance, have yet to race beyond six furlongs and, with most of the previous winners of the opening Classic of the season usually strong stayers at the trip, there must be an element of doubt as to whether their explosive speed will ultimately count against them. 

There can be no such doubts regarding Augustine Rodin’s ability to stay, as he is already a proven Group 1 winner over a mile on demanding ground as a two-year-old, it is just whether you feel as though his overall form and lack of any Newmarket experience is justification for him being so short in the betting. 

CHALDEAN (best price 15/2), on the other hand, has no question marks on most fronts and at the prices, he makes a good deal more sense as a viable each-way alternative to the favourite. 

Improving with each start at two, Andrew Balding’s colt arrived at Newmarket for the first time full of hope that he could capture the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes on his final outing of the campaign and, having raced with plenty of zest throughout, he duly delivered the goods. 

Strongly fancied to carry on where he left in the Greenham Stakes at Newbury on his seasonal bow, his final preparations for today’s contest took a severe turn for the worse as he propped coming out of the stalls, in turn, dislodging Frankie Dettori on the turf to rue what might have been.

Carrying on without his stricken pilot, he did continue to race alongside eventual winner, Isaac Selby, all the way to the line, so even though he technically failed to accomplish his main task at hand, he did have a race of sorts. 

By the brilliant Guineas winner Frankel and hailing from a stable who took this contest with similar type, Kameko, not so long ago, this flashy chestnut has the ideal profile to follow in his footsteps. 

Time may tell YACOWLEF (NAP) (best price 5/2) faced an impossible task trying to live with impressive winner Once More For Luck over today’s C&D on his first outing of the campaign, but now taking a huge drop in class, today’s affair represents a seemingly golden opportunity to go one place better on his return visit. 

Bogged down on heavy ground on his final start as a two-year-old, Oliver & Paul Cole’s inmate was one of many who had a decent chance on the pick of their best form in an ultra-competitive Class 2 handicap at the Craven meeting and, as it turned out, he produced his best performance so far to date by a country mile. 

Held up towards the rear of mid division in what turned out to be a very strongly run affair, the son of Kessaar made steady headway to hold every chance just over a furlong out, but no sooner as he looked like the most likely winner inside the distance, along came Ismail Mohamed’s colt to cut him down to size close home. 

Given the pace they went from the start, it came as no surprise to see the overall speed figure was by some way the best on the card and with the form given an immediate boost with the third home scoring in fine style here yesterday, everything about the race seems totally believable. 

Down two grades and likely to strip a good deal fitter than he did 16 days ago, it would come as something of a surprise if he did not seize this winnable opportunity with both hands.