Tuesday Horse Racing Tips from Andy Holding

Wiliam Cody certainly deserves to get his head back in front but at the same time he’s also becoming a bit expensive to follow – his jumping often letting him down – and at the morning prices, he is passed over in favour of GREY SKIES (NAP) (best price 7/2) who might be able to capitalise on a drop down in class along with any potential frailties of the favourite.

Having his first outing for 118 days at Carlisle last time out, Donald McCain’s grey travelled extremely well for majority of the 2m5f journey but after jumping two out the lack of an outing kicked in and he could only keep on at the one pace after the last to finish a respectable fourth behind race-fit Red Happy.

Given how testing the conditions were that day due to a strong headwind in the straight, his effort could be cut a good deal of slack, but either way, it was still a performance that carried plenty of hope forward into the new season and with today’s race being the first he’s contested at this level for a while, he might just be able to make his class tell.

MR SQUIRES (best price 6/1) didn’t shape too badly in a hot race for the grade over today’s course last time and providing he shows a similar level of form now dropped back a furlong, the four-year-old can improve on his finishing position from 18 days ago.

Having his first run post a gelding operation, the son of Zoffany also had to overcome a 94-day break in the process and, in what turned out to be a strongly run affair at the Midland venue, he did well in the circumstances to finish a close-up fourth.

Since that race 18 days ago, the third, fifth and seventh have all boosted the form since with placed efforts and having shown with a previous winning display over today’s course that this surface suits his game, Roger Fell & Sean Murray’s inmate can go well again from a favourable draw.

FOLLOW YOUR HEART (best price 11/1), as per usual, has been a model of consistency throughout the winter all-weather campaign and having run another commendable race against several who he reopposes here tonight at Wolverhampton last time out, Mark Loughnane’s gelding rates cast-iron each-way material in this competitive Class 2 event.

Just caught on heels as the gates opened at the Midland venue, the six-year-old was probably a little further back that desired as the field went down the back straight but to his great credit he made a bold fist of trying to work himself back into the picture and in the end he only failed by half a length to gather in-form Intervention, who obtained first run at a crucial stage.

Looking at the peak of his graph last winter, it’s noticeable his three wins all came after the turn of the new year and with tonight’s contest almost certain to be run at the kind of gallop he desires, a better break from his favourable draw (old rival Intervention out in stall 12) should result in a top four finish at the very least.