Friday Racing Tips from Andy Holding

DUAL IDENTITY (best price 11/4)  ran as though he will come on significantly for the run on his seasonal bow over today’s course last time out and under more suitable conditions to what he faced two weeks ago, William Knight’s gelding can resume winning ways.

Racing just off the pace in a competitive field at HQ, the son of Belardo held every chance at the two-furlong pole, but it soon became apparent the rain-softened ground was influencing his performance and he ultimately could only plug on at the one pace in the latter stages.

That said, it was by no means a bad start to his campaign and with that all-important run under his belt, there is a decent chance he will be able to return to the sort of levels that allowed him to finish a creditable third in the Cambridgeshire last season. Ultimately drawn on the wrong side that day, the five-year-old posted a career high on the figures by some way and a repeat of something similar will make him hard to beat.

IT JUST TAKES TIME (best price 7/2) produced a career high effort on the numbers at Thirsk last time out and this improving sprinter looks booked to take his game to another level over a track he struck up an immediate affinity with last season.

Always to the fore at the Yorkshire venue, Mark Walford’s inmate picked up the running at the two-furlong pole and from that point onwards, he kept pounding out the fractions to gradually ease his way clear to the tune of four lengths. Stopping the clock with easily the best time figure on the card, the five-year-old proved his versatility regards trip and ground and with today’s conditions almost identical what they were here last July, he seemingly has all bases covered on his return to the Knavesmire.

Not a lot to separate between FAYLAQ (best price 4/1) and Good Show on their latest clash over today’s C&D but, as the former did not enjoy the clearest of passages that day, he is taken to confirm the form.

Not for the first time, Jim Goldie’s inmate found himself on the back foot with a slow start at the Scottish track, but he gradually worked himself into a position whereby he held every chance approaching the final two furlongs.

Unfortunately, it was from this point where he encountered a bit of traffic and after losing some valuable momentum, he was unable to recover in time to counteract the late surge of Postilio. That said, he did manage to fend off Good Show who had a clear passage down the outside so just on that performance alone, he should not have too many fears from his main rival here tonight.

In addition, he has subsequently gone on to run another commendable race over the same C&D five days ago, once again coming from along way back to hit the frame, and if he does manage to get the rub of the green on his return visit, there is every chance he can finally get his day in the sun.

BURREN SONG (best price 5/1) impressed in every department of his latest success at Tipperary and with tonight’s conditions virtually identical to what he encountered 29 days ago, Andrew Slattery’s inmate can put up a bold bid to secure his hat trick.

A winner at Dundalk during the winter, the five-year-old was up two furlongs in a bid to supplement those gains and, in what turned out to be a competitive and well-run affair, he stayed on best of all to snatch the prize close home.

Because of his narrow margin success, he has only gone up marginally in the ratings and with the runner-up and fourth both going on to advertise the form with wins of their own this week, he looks to hold obvious claims.