Saturday Racing Tips from Andy Holding

YOUCRACKMEUP (NAP) (best price 9/4) really impressed when reducing her 12 opponents to their knees at The Galway Festival last time out and a similar powerful front running role is likely to see Jessica Harrington’s inmate a tough nut to crack on ground likely to have deteriorated since yesterday.

Seemingly a totally different proposition since fitted with blinkers, the daughter of Cracksman was once again aggressively ridden (similar to when winning at Roscommon) with a view to getting her rivals on the stretch at Ballybrit and having set strong fractions right from the start, she maintained the gallop all the way up the hill to the line.

Unsurprisingly, given the pace from the outset, the final speed figure was very good for the grade and with the third going on to score back at the same venue later in the week (even the ninth ran well over hurdles recently), the form already looks reliable.

A late withdrawal at Gowran in midweek due to unsuitable quick ground, the rain which has fallen in the last 24 hours will be a welcome relief for connections and if it comes to a slog at the business end, she is one of today’s field who will be equipped for such a battle.

DOLLERINA (best price 15/2) shaped with an immense amount of promise on her debut over today’s C&D two months ago and even though today’s test will obviously prove to be a totally different one altogether, Joseph O’Brien’s filly might just have the necessary requirements to cope with the task at hand.

An eye-catcher in a barrier trial at Naas back in May, the daughter of Territories was quietly fancied to go well at the Co Kildare venue despite being up against the extremely well-touted Ylang Ylang from the Aidan O’Brien camp and as it turned out, she was the only on to offer any kind of resistance to the well backed favourite inside the final two furlongs.

Indeed, had she not dived out to her left and lost considerable ground coming out of her coffin box draw in stall 12 she may have proved an even bigger threat to the winner at the business end and with the form working out well subsequently, she clearly ran to a decent level first time off the shelf.

A big, scopey filly with tons of scope to develop both physically and even more so mentally, this Group 1 entry is fancied to take her game to another level at a track that clearly holds no fears.

RANGER THUNDERBOLT (best price 6/1) just found one too good in his bid to supplement his previous gains at Newbury last time out but with today’s track and ground likely to prove ideal for Robin Brisland’s inmate, he has a decent chance of returning to winning ways.

A shock winner at the Berkshire venue on his first run for 196 days, his trainer stated afterwards he put his success down to the fact the son of Dragon Pulse has strengthened up considerably since last seen back in December and that theory was backed again next time out although he suffered a narrow defeat.

In a much stronger race 23 days ago, he proved he had the stomach for a well-run contest over 1m2f on soft ground and with the time figure suggesting he had taken his game to another level, confidence is high he can continue his progression up the ranks.

ROGUE SEA (best price 8/1) ended up being a bitter disappointment to all concerned at Haydock last time out, but as there were mitigating circumstances accompanying that below-par effort, Tom Clover’s inmate is afforded another chance to bounce back to the form and promise he had shown previously.

An impressive winner at Yarmouth on his debut back in April - form of which has been backed up by the runner-up Dasho Lennie - the son of Sea The Stars then had the misfortune to bump into the progressive Perfuse when he was in top shape at Nottingham next time out.

Putting the wheels back on the wagon next time at Ripon, he clocked the sort of time figure that meant he deserved a crack at something more substantial and the market tended to agree, as he was sent off one of the favourites to land a competitive Saturday handicap at the Merseyside venue 42 days ago.

Unfortunately for his supporters, his race was rather over before it began when he was carried off the track at the first bend and, as a result, he could never get back into a challenging position. Alongside that early incident, he also left the impression 1m6f stretched his stamina to the limit, so now dropped back in trip with some ease underfoot, the lightly-raced three-year-old has a better chance of upholding his current stable form than his morning odds suggest.