Andy Holding is back with five tips for today's racing action
13:50 Perth
Dr Eggman has petered out rather abruptly on his last two starts suggesting he has a hole in him of some description and, as a result, he is worth taking on with MONTY SEARLE (best price 11-2), who gave odds-on punters one hell of a fright at Exeter on his rules debut.
Seemingly going as well as hot favourite Howaya Now turning for home at the west country venue, Nigel Hawke’s gelding just began to faulter on the run down to the last but being as though he hadn’t run for the thick end of four months, his lack of fitness in the ground was rather understandable.
Good on the numbers despite his defeat 17 days ago, he should be capable of maintaining the gallop with that all-important run under his belt and if the favourite does crack like he has done on his last two starts, the son of Malinas will be the first at the head of queue to capitalise.
MONTY SEARLE – 1-point win @ 11-2
MONTY SEARLE – 1-point win @ 2-1 without Dr Eggman
15:25 Perth
The course executives must be cock-a-hoop with the quality on display for this listed race with several genuine Grade 1 performers on show and although the Irish raiders make a formidable triumvirate, APPLE AWAY (best price 3-1) is fancied to keep the prize on home soil.
A Grade 1 winner over hurdles, it’s probably fair to say she hasn’t quite hit the heights expected over fences yet but at the same time her campaign hasn’t been a disaster either. Time has told she had little chance of beating Grey Dawning in a Grade 2 at Haydock and her effort next time at Ascot, albeit in defeat, did produce her fastest speed figure so far to date.
Not quite able to see out the 3m6f journey against the boys in the National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham last time out, she has had quite a nice break to regather her thoughts and with an attacking ride over today’s drop back down in trip the likeliest pursuit, the daughter of Arctic Cosmos can end her season on a high.
APPLE AWAY – 1-point win @ 3-1
17:40 Gowran
ALL LIES AHEAD (best price 11-2) lost any chance she may have had with an extremely tardy start at Cork last time out and providing she can buck up her ideas in that department this time around, Willie McCreery’s filly can fare better at a track where she has gone well in the past.
Never normally troublesome in the stalls, for some reason the daughter of Make Believe took it on herself to crawl out of the boxes at the Mallow venue and after a furlong, she was in a position where it became an exercise in damage limitation.
To her ultimate credit, she did retrieve some of the lost deficit and considering the trip was someway short of her best, to only get beaten five lengths in the circumstances was a decent effort. Moreover, the form of the race has already been boosted by the runner-up and having finished second on both her two previous starts at today’s Co Kenny track, the six-year-old can add to her tally and reward each-way support.
ALL LIES AHEAD – 1-point each-way @ 11-2
20:14 Bellestown
ADDRAGOOLE (best price 5-2) shaped with a huge amount of promise on his debut behind a useful type at Down Royal last month and he can come out on top in the battle against Jersey Des Brosses, who looked rather laboured when a well beaten favourite on his seasonal bow.
Sent off 66-1 at the Co Down venue, Gavin Cromwell’s inmate was always travelling like he was going to defy those odds by some way and if it wasn’t for running green in the closing stages, there’s an argument to be made he may have well walked away with the prize.
Even so, his speed figure in defeat suggested he still ran to a very high standard for a horse having his first run in public and with just normal improvement, the five-year-old has what it takes to win a race of this nature.
