Sunday Racing Tips from Andy Holding

NADIM (best price 11/4) left the impression he rather let his latest encounter slip through is fingers but with the cheekpieces fitted for the first time, lack of focus will hopefully be eroded, and Milton Harris’ inmate can finally make the breakthrough over jumps he has been threatening for a while.

The only one to offer any resistance to the all-the-way winner, Pak Army, over today’s course two starts ago, it was easy to see why he was a warm order to go one place better at Southwell last time out, but after spending most of the race being a bit of a naughty schoolboy, he ended up having to play second fiddle once again. 

Based on his last two performances, though, he clearly has a race of today’s nature well within his capabilities and providing the ground doesn’t deteriorate too much during the day (the odd isolated shower forecast), the four-year-old can keep his trainer’s excellent run of form ticking over nicely. 

STEEL WAVE (best price 7/2) has been round the block more times than a tramp’s dog, but he does save his best form for today’s circuit and, arriving here following another solid effort at his happy hunting ground, the 13-year-old can show that he’s not ready to get out the pipe and slippers just yet. 

Yet to finish out of the first four since teaming up with Tabitha Worsley, Gary Hamner’s veteran also has form figures at today’s track over fences that read 412313 and with the latest of those efforts on-par figures-wise compared to some of his previous runs here in the past, he is clearly holding his form together nicely. 

Prior to that solid display 26 days ago, he had accounted for subsequent winner Herewegohoney in cosy fashion over the C&D and considering today’s favourite, Hunting Percival, was well beaten off that day (pulled up), there is every chance he can confirm his superiority despite his advancing years.