Monday Horse Racing Tips from Andy Holding

JUST OVER LAND (best price 10-3) left the impression he rather let certain victory slip through his fingers over today’s C&D last time out and he is afforded another chance to make amends on his return to the Welsh venue.

Setting solid fractions from the front 22 days ago, Sam Thomas’ gelding seemed to have matters under control on the run down to two out but untimely mistakes at the last two hurdles let the door ajar for Lively Citizen to pounce and he didn’t have sufficient time to recover on the short run-in. 

He did, however, come back at the winner in such a fashion that it’s safe to say he would have probably won but for taking his eye off the ball and hailing from astable who has his team in great shape at present (60% strike rate), the five-year-old can make another bold attempt from the front. 

PASSING KATE (best price 7-2) had to be considered slightly unfortunate to bump into the upwardly mobile Balhambar at Ludlow last time out but it was yet another performance to suggest Matt Shepherd’s mare remains in good form and having gone well at today’s track earlier in the campaign, she looks a decent alternative to short priced favourite Bullets Hill.

Sent off favourite to continue her consistent form at the Shropshire venue, she picked up the running looking like she would justify her position in the market 20 days ago but once joined by the eventual winner, she couldn’t quite live with a horse who found an extra gear courtesy of his days on the Flat.

Still, the time figure that day pointed towards her running right up to her previous best at Wincanton earlier in the campaign and being one of the few in today’s field with proven track form, everything stacks up in her favour despite her position in the market suggesting otherwise. 

KING’S THRESHOLD (best price 5-1) arrives her with a profile to suggest he remains on the upgrade and up against many who appear to be either inconsistent or on a downward spiral, Emma Lavelle’s can back up his latest Ascot success. 

A lightly raced novice chaser with just the four runs under his belt, his inexperience didn’t backfire on him at the Berkshire venue last month as he finally wore down Storminhome in the closing stages of a strongly run affair and it was more than he deserved after a string of fine place efforts. 

The feature of some of his previous performances was how well he jumped and travelled in his races but unlike in the depths of winter when he didn’t quite get home on bad ground, he was able to find plenty for pressure on a better surface and with a similar terrain in place here this evening, the son of Yeats looks sure to put up another bold bid at a track where he has gone well in the past.

MR MACKAY (best price 17-2) has failed to add to his tally since scoring at Huntingdon earlier in the season, but he has been keeping higher counsel than most of today’s opposition and now taking a drop down back into Class 4 company, Nigel Twiston-Davies’ inmate can take advantage.

Still a work in progress over some of his hurdles, his technique rather let him down at a crucial stage at Haydock last time out but as he was up against horses who are genuine Class 2 performers, it’s probably unwise to be too harsh on his display – especially in the context of today’s race. 

Good enough to finish a close up fourth behind Impose Toi at Cheltenham earlier in the campaign and runner-up to the likes of progressive pair Black Hawk Eagle and Mr Freedom subsequently, he arguably has one of the strongest portfolios heading into tonight’s encounter and providing he can eradicate some of the errors which have sometimes crept into his game, the five-year-old has the ability to go close in a race of this nature.