Tuesday Horse Racing Tips from Andy Holding

AL  AGAILA (NAP) (best price 5/1) turned in one of her best performances of her career when pitched in against the boys at Kempton last time out and now back among her own sex over a track where she has gone well in the past – as form figures of 311 testify - Simon & Ed Crisford’s filly rates a decent bet at the morning odds to maintain those excellent stats. 

Slightly disappointing on her three previous starts, two of which were admittedly on the turf, the daughter of Lope De Vega was freshened up and brought back to the fray at the Sunbury venue after a 106-day break and having travelled well throughout in what was a strongly run affair, she found the necessary requirements to take advantage of racing back on the all-weather and a drop in grade.

Although she will have to find more to match some of today’s rivals more accustomed to running at this level, her speed figure form that race 13 days suggests she more than deserves a crack at gaining valuable black type and providing she can break well from her favourable inside draw, there’s every chance she will achieve that goal. 

BALLYCAMUS (best price 10/1) left the distinct impression he would be all the better for the outing on his seasonal bow at Bangor last month and hailing from a yard that have been one of the big success stories in the early exchanges of the new campaign, Nigel Twiston-Davies inmate can go well in what looks wide-open handicap. 

Holding every chance on the run down to two out at the Welsh venue, the six-year-old just began to feel the strain of what was a strongly run affair up to that point and against two rivals with distinct fitness advantage, he ended up ultimately waving the white flag on the run-in. 

That said, the time figure he produced in defeat suggested there was no shame in finishing a close-up third and with today’s examination likely to prove a reasonable test in the conditions, his confirmed stamina (did win over three miles last season) can lead to him being one of the main players at the business end. 

LARKFIELD LUSIVE (best price 11/2) came out of his latest contest with great credit when you consider he was drilled around the inside on the swamp for the majority of the 2m5f journey and providing the same pilot doesn’t try and execute those tactics again, the four-year-old has a chance of gaining full compensation. 

As is often the case at the Greenmount Park track, the more the action developed, the more the inside of the course got churned up and by the time they had got to race five, most (sensible) jockeys charted a course out wide to look for the better ground. However, while the well-backed winner, Ask Anything, raced right around the hare rail, Jack Gilligan persisted with a route around the inside and as it turned out, that decision ended up costing his mount the race. 

Given the circumstances, the son of Elusive Pimpernel, therefore, comes out of the race with great credit and if ridden with a little more nous this time around (last race on the card, so ground around the inside likely to be at its worse), his wait for his first success may soon come to an end.