Friday Horse Racing Tips from Andy Holding

FLEUR DE MER (NAP) (best price 16/5) has really come into her own since being switched to the all-weather and following a slightly unlucky effort at Chelmsford last time out, Hugo Palmer’s is strongly fancied to make amends at a track that should play more into her strengths.

Showing a smart turn of foot to overcome poor track position at Wolverhampton two starts ago, the daughter of Dark Angel was well supported to follow up against better opposition at the Essex venue a month later and although she ultimately failed in her bid, she did more than enough to warrant her being left in the notebook.

Slowly away and well behind in the early stages 31 days ago, her position hadn’t improved by the field rounded the home turn, so it was to her great credit she managed to overtake all but one of her rivals in the dash for the line.

On the evidence of that effort, she either requires a stronger pace at 1m2f or maybe even further to be seen to better effect and with today’s stiffer, more galloping track offering at least one of those solutions for her today, the lightly raced three-year-old can prove she is likely to be much better than a 70-rated horse in the future.

DIAMONDONTHEHILL (best price 7/1) found life in the fast lane of a Class 2 handicap at Ripon a bridge too far at Ripon last time out, but now back at a more realistic level and at the scene of his previous excellent effort over today’s C&D, Michael Dods’ gelding can surprise one or two better fancied rivals.

After taking a keen hold early, the five-year-old still held every chance approaching the final furlong at the Yorkshire track, but because of those exertions, he didn’t quite see his race out as well as he might, and he had to settle for a minor role.

Prior to that decent effort, he only found one too good for him in a similar race he faces today and with the speed figure he posted that day indicating that he still a handicapper on the rise, a repeat of something should see this strong-travelling type a force to be reckoned with at the business end.

Everything that could go wrong did go wrong for PASTICHE (best price 3/1) at Newmarket last time out and George Boughey’s inmate is worth another chance to reestablish the impression she created over the same course the time before.

Stepped up to a mile after winning in the style of an improving type on her previous start, the daughter of Zoustar got off to a terrible beginning on her return to the July Course when fly-jumping out of the stalls and that occurrence soon put her in a position – in a slowly run race – that was always likely to make her vulnerable as the tempo increased two out.

True to form, she failed to make little impact at the business end of a tactically run affair but with the strong possibility of today’s race developing into more conventional one in terms of pace, the chestnut filly has enough class to overcome top weight.

It’s fair to say, PAKENS ROCK (best price 4/1) was a disappointment in the Galway Blazers on his most recent outing, but it’s worth remembering he has a decent record over today’s C&D and a return to the Westmeath venue might initiate a revival of fortunes.

One of the main fancies for one of the big handicaps of the week at Ballybrit, Barry Murphy’s gelding never really looked happy in his bid to complete a hat trick and he ended up finishing well down the field after failing to finish off his race with any purpose on the long climb to the line from the last.

Going back to his two previous victories over tonight’s track, the feature of his successes has been how strong he has been in the latter stages and with the distinct possibility of this race being run at the sort of gallop that plays into his strengths, the son of Central Park makes more appeal than most at the morning odds.