Wednesday Racing Tips from Andy Holding

KING’S CROWN (best price 12/1) must be given a great deal of credit lasting out for as long as he did on his seasonal debut at Newmarket and with the figures from that hot contest 20 days suggesting he was tackling a fair standard of opponent to boot; Adrian Nicholls’ inmate might have a better chance of atoning for his defeat than his morning odds would have you believe.

Hitting the gates well, the three-year-old found himself to the fore during the early exchanges, but so too did Ferrous, and that meant the pair rather eye-balled each other for the thick end of four furlongs. Unsurprisingly, given the unsustainable fractions he set with his duelling rival, he ended being a busted flush once meeting the rising ground, and he eventually succumbed to four deep closers who were ridden with much more patience.

That said, he kept on well enough to finish an honourable fifth and considering two of the quartet who flashed passed him late on the Rowley Mile have gone on to boost the form since (Shouldvebeenaring and Yacowlef), his effort in defeat reads well in the context of today’s race. Admittedly, he could have done with a better draw, but providing he can show the same gate speed as he did on his first run for 201 days, the son of Starspangledbanner may be capable of overcoming that impost.

SHONA MEA (best price 4/1) would seemingly have the draw against her at first glance but, a closer examination of how the track often favours wide racers as a card progresses at the Co Kenny venue suggests she might not be that hard done by and, for that reason, Jessica Harrington’s mare is fancied to uphold her decent record at today’s venue.

Regular punters here will be aware of how the track bias shifts usually midway through a day’s racing, the far side tending to be where most of the jockeys’ favour in the first few races, before switching to race towards the nearside rail on the less poached ground towards the backend of the programme.

Victim of that phenomenon when drawn stall 2 on her seasonal bow, the six-year-old only had one drawn outside of her on her return visit last time out and although she found one too good in the shape of the fast-finishing You Owe Me Money, the fact she came hard up against the stands’ side fence certainly helped her cause no end.

Posted right out on the wing today in gate 20, this should allow Shane Foley a complete solo around the outside and given how the daughter of Dragon Pulse often finishes off her races, she is very likely to be in the thick of the action once again if, as predicted, the runners migrate to race on the better ground in the straight.

MOTHILL (best price 18/5) proved no match to clear-cut winner Spirit D’Anjou at Chepstow last time out, but he did impress with the way he stuck to the task at hand to finish an honourable second and with today’s step up in trip seen as a possible source of improvement, Neil Mulholland’s gelding rates a solid each-way bet with many firms offering three places.

Fairly consistent last season, his only slightly below-par effort coming on genuine winter ground at Sandown, there was no shame in five-year-old’s defeat at the hands of a progressive type at the Welsh venue 25 days ago and with the data that day pointing towards his performance being his best so far to date, it is quite surprising to see the assessor take the opposite view.

Still well treated on the evidence of that display, he now returns to track where he has been successful in the past and providing today’s ground does not go too wonky as the day progresses, the son of Golden Horn has a decent chance of posting career win number four.