Monday Horse Racing Tips from Andy Holding

GUSTAVIAN (best price 11-4) hasn’t had much respite this season, mainly racing in Class 1 and 2 company, but now finally given a little bit of breathing space, hopefully Anthony Honeyball’s gelding can take advantage. 

Lacking the necessary requirements in the latter stages of a good quality handicap at Newbury last time out, the nine-year-old had fared slightly better against similar opponents under more testing conditions over the same C&D previously and the same comments applied based on his effort in chasing home the smart Richmond Lake at Aintree back in December. 

Although he is probably more effective over 2m4f, today’s testing conditions should mean the experiment of the drop back to the minimum trip might not be that far away from the mark and at the morning odds, he is worth a small interest see whether the bold move comes to fruition. 

ROBBER’S BRIDGE (NAP) (best price 15-8) arrives here having gained a well-deserved victory over today’s course last time out and with the extra yardage he now faces seen as a positive move, Simon Earle’s gelding is fancied to repeat the dose. 

Runner-up in a race that had worked out well subsequently at Leicester previously, the six-year-old was understandably a warm order to go one place better at the west country venue two months later and despite hitting a few flat spots during the two-mile journey, he ultimately stayed on too strongly for his main rivals late on. 

Based on that effort alone, he looks like to be crying out for further and having run well over today’s C&D in the past, confidence is high he can come up with the goods. 

BORGI (best price 9-2) couldn’t quite meet the standards required for a quality Class 3 contest at Lingfield on Good Friday but now back at a level where he should feel a good deal more comfortable, the five-year-old gelding has a decent chance of regaining the winning theme.

By no means unfancied at the Surrey venue, he looked quite threatening with half a mile to race but it soon became noticeable he simply didn’t have the same change of gear of the likes of Cephalus, Dingle and Benavente, three performers well ahead of that grade, and he ended up having to settle for a position just outside the money. 

Prior to that slightly below par effort, Sean Woods’ inmate beat a decent field, like tonight’s at Southwell, and returning to a track where his form figures read 121, it would come something of a surprise if he couldn’t add to those impressive stats.