Wednesday Horse Racing Tips from Andy Holding

GUNDOGAN (best price 7/1) shaped with an infinite amount of promise on his debut at Redcar a month ago and with the strong possibility of a good deal more to come, Ed Bethell’s colt can play a more significant role second time around.

A little slowly away at the Yorkshire track, he soon raced alertly to race on the heels of the leaders down to halfway and although he made a significant amount of headway inside the final two furlongs, he couldn’t quite make up the lost leeway in time and he had to settle for a minor role just outside the money.

That said, the way he travelled throughout the contest suggested he has a decent engine and providing his pilot today can help him race a little less exuberantly, there’s every chance he will go close to shedding his maiden tag.

FIRST DARE (NAP) (best price 5/2) arrives here in top shape having captured a similar contest at Navan last time out and with the time figure confirming there was no fluke about the performance, Liz Doyle’s mare is fancied to repeat the dose.

Knocking at the door all season, the daughter of Beat Hollow was strong in the market to finally gain her due rewards and, having been given a patient and well-time challenge by her amateur pilot, she swept through late on to score with a degree of comfort.

Not too harshly penalised considering the amount she seemed to have in hand, today’s affair seems well within her compass and under similar conditions, it’s hard to see her not going well in the hands of promising conditional, Tom Harney.

GOLD SPEED (best price 8/1) captured one of the most competitive handicaps run at the entire Listowel Festival a month ago and now reverting to a track where he also enjoyed a bit of success in the past, Adrian Murray’s gelding can prove once again there’s no accounting for experience.

A reliable sot at this level, the 10-year-old ran a blinder when chasing home dual course winner Teed Up over an inadequate trip at the Galway Festival and that effort set him up nicely for a tilt at that valuable prize at the Co Kerry venue.

Held up towards the rear 18 days ago, he worked himself into a threatening position rounding the home turn and with good jumps coming just when he needed them most at the last two flights, he stayed on stoutly on the run-in to repel the late thrust of Bugs Moran.

In defeating many genuine 130-rated horses, the son of Gold Well clocked the best speed figure of the five hurdles races on the card that day and with conditions here today set to deteriorate sufficiently enough whereby the ground will be close to what he encountered last time, a performance of a similar magnitude should be good enough to see him in the mix once again.