Saturday Racing Tips from Andy Holding

The experiment to try INTRICACY (best price 11/2) with the visor failed to work as well as connections were expecting at Newbury last time out but with the headgear left off on this occasion, Simon & Ed Crisford’s inmate can prove that he is up for a race of this nature.

Outstayed over 1m4f at Wolverhampton on his seasonal bow, he was dropped down in trip at the Berkshire track with a view of utilising the speed he had showed over the extended mile the time before but the combination of racing too freely in the early stages and the winner getting away from the pack on the front end, counted against his chances of bouncing back to his best.

Allowed to race aid free and with the potential of a stiff 1m1f proving close to his optimum, the son of Dubawi makes plenty of each-way appeal at the morning odds.

KIHAVAH (best price 4/1) not only represents a yard in good form, but his own wellbeing could also not be any better either and the combination of those two factors make Adrian Keatley’s inmate a strong choice to land another C&D win.

Successful for the second time on the Knavesmire when landing a competitive Class contest back a month ago, the five-year-old proved his versatility in capturing a decent contest over hurdles last time out and with there lots to like about both victories, especially in terms of the time figures, he clearly is right on top of his game.

Nicely draw with ground to suit and a top pilot on board, it is hard to find too many negatives surrounding his prospects and he deserves to be played accordingly.

BOX TO BOX (NAP) (best price 9/4) left the impression he was badly in need of the outing on his return to these shores here last time out and, with today’s conditions more likely to suit Hugo Palmer’s gelding than it would have done that day, he can add to his impressive record on the Roodee.

Having made little impression in three races over in Bahrain during the winter, the four-year-old returned to domestic action 37 days ago and, in what looked a competitive affair on paper beforehand, he travelled as well as anything on the swing for the home straight.

Unfortunately, lack of an outing for 83 days combined with the rain-softened ground sucked the life out of the Kodiac gelding inside the final furlong, but he did at least keep on well enough to finish a respectable sixth of the 11 runners.

Prior to that defeat, he was unbeaten over today’s C&D in two starts, so with conditions very much back in his favour, the locally trained performer is fancied to get back on track.

Strangely, given all the success Kevin Ryan has enjoyed at York over the years, this race has not been as kind to the Hambleton handler as you might have imagined, but either way, his two representatives here today CATCH THE PADDY (best price 9/1) and WASHINGTON HEIGHTS (best price 7/1), look to have strong claims and they are taken against the field.

The former ran a super race on his return to action over today’s course last time out and although he appeared to be just as effective over seven furlongs that day, a drop back to six is not necessarily seen as a disadvantage considering his overall profile last season.

Winner of a competitive C&D nursery before finding the Group 2 Gimcrack field a little too hot to handle next time, the son of No Nay Never has a decent enough body of work on the Knavesmire to suggest he is likely to put that all-important experience to good use.

The latter, similarly, to his stable mate, has solid form over today’s course to call upon and on the bare reading of his effort behind Shouldvbeenaring in a competitive sales event last season, he still looks well treated off a mark of 90.

Moreover, his form this season is one of a progressive sprinter and return to genuine quick ground should see him have every chance of turning around recent form with Quinault.