Wednesday Horse Racing Tips from Andy Holding

KRAQUELINE (best price 7/2) ran out a quite an impressive winner on her first start over fences at Wincanton last month and with the form of the race already beginning to take shape, Kerry Lee’s grey can prove she remains a well handicapped horse.

Promising without winning in five starts over hurdles, the six-year-old’s attentions were switched to fences for the first time at the west country venue and having jumped and travelled well throughout, she went on to score in decisive fashion.

In doing so she clocked a decent speed figure for the grade and with the runner-up and sixth both running creditable races since over the last two days, it’s safe to say the numbers appear to be reliable.

Withdrawn from her next intended engagement at Hereford a week later due to unsuitably good ground, she now reacquaints herself with a surface that will play more into her strengths and hailing from a stable still ticking along quite nicely (both Pimlico Point and Nemean Lion ran well during the last few days), she should go well in her bid to keep the Herefordshire handler trending in the right direction.

PRIVATE OFFICER (best price 11/2) didn’t shape too badly in a hot maiden at The Curragh on his mandatory third start for a mark and having come out of the that contest with what could turn out to be a favourable rating, a chance is taken Johnny Levins’ inmate can translate that form to his all-weather debut.

Down the field in two heavy ground maidens over a mile, connections took the decision to drop the son of Us Navy Flag down in trip at the Co Kildare venue and although he still failed to trouble the judge, there was certainly more merit in his performance.

Settling nicely in midfield in a well-contested affair 22 days, he stayed on in pleasing fashion in the closing stages and when you consider the time figure was one of the better ones to emerge for a race of its kind throughout the duration of the season over the Irish Sea, his effort deserves extra praise.

Coming out of that contest with a mark of just 59 and from a family that suggests an all-weather terrain should prove suitable, it will come as something of a disappointment if he fails to make some sort of impact at this level.

PRINCE ALI (best price 7/2) got a ride that David Probert would probably want to forget in a hurry over tonight’s C&D last week and working on the basis that Deborah Faulkner’s gelding would be unlucky to get the same treatment in the saddle for the second time in succession, he deserves another chance to build on his previous success.

Rushed up from his outside gate early, the son of Twilight Son ended up being keen with no cover going into the first corner and for the entire back straight and even though he picked up the running turning for home and looked mildly promising, it was inevitable he was going to pay for his exertions in the first mile.

True to form he ended up being a busted flush inside the final furlong, eventually fading into fourth and that came as a bitter blow to punters who had backed him down at all rates from 5-1 in the early morning skirmishes (sent off 16/5).

Although tonight’s race is a similar Class 5 event, it does look weaker on paper than what he faced here the other night and providing his new pilot William Pyle can get him buried away and settled from his inside draw (stall 2), hopefully his finishing effort will be a good deal more productive.