Wednesday Horse Racing Tips from Andy Holding featuring four from Punchestown

BLIZZARD OF OZ (best price 9-4), other than an uncharacteristic display at Naas two starts ago, has been a reliable conveyance in bumpers and since joining the hurdling ranks and following a confidence-boosting victory at Leopardstown last time out, Willie Mullins’ gelding can finish his season where it began. 

Below his best at the Kildare venue back in February, the combination of heavy ground and his tendency to jump out to his right ultimately cost him dear, but he was seen to better effect on less testing ground last time out, staying on well to account for a useful field. 

A top-class performer in bumpers last season, it’s worth noting his best speed figure so far to date came over today’s C&D and the son of Arctic Cosmos looks to have strong chance of repeating the dose on his return visit. 

As the betting suggests, Answer To Kayf looks his main threat but as Blizzard Of Oz has enjoyed a slightly less arduous campaign, hopefully his fresher legs might just hold sway. 

WOOLHAMPTON (best price 3-1) has built up a decent cv over today’s course in recent times and following a highly promising start to the new campaign, Rod Millman’s filly can add to her C&D stats that read 132. 

Returning to action after a 156-day break, the four-year-old had no option but to be dropped out towards the rear from stall 12 of 12 and from that position she was always likely to be rowing against the tide. To her great credit, however, she salvaged plenty from the wreckage by finishing off her race in taking style and it was a performance that should set her up nicely for the remainder of the season. 

Being hung out on stall 9 of 9 today, jockey Oliver Searle will hopefully try and get some early cover behind one of the likeliest front runners, Buccaboy, and if that proves to be the case, she can come through with her usual strong finish and claim the prize late on. 

GORGEOUS TOM (best price 12-1) has run to a pretty high standard on his four starts to date over hurdles and following a deserved success at Naas last time out, Henry De Bromhead’s inmate has the credentials to provide favourite Mistergif with the most to think about. 

The only one capable of offering any resistance to subsequent Grade 1 winner Caldwell Potter in an above-average maiden hurdle at Navan earlier in the campaign, his defeat at the hands of Boldog at Tramore next time came as something of a surprise, but he was soon back on track at the Kildare circuit last time and the confidence he would have gained from the victory can not be underestimated. 

In a race run at a true clip from the start, the six-year-old travelled conspicuously well throughout and when joining Special Cadeau at the last, he stayed on in determined fashion all the way to the line. Posting another solid set of numbers that day, the form has worked out accordingly with the third and fourth bolting up since and with today’s better ground and step up in trip seen as two potential sources of improvement, he should take high rank when the prizes are being dished out. 

BETTER DAYS AHEAD (best price 3-1) won a stellar renewal of the Martin Pipe in convincing fashion and having proven his stamina in abundance that day, Gordon Elliott’s inmate can stake his claim to be one of the best staying novices of the season. 

Seemingly struggling to get on terms with the free-wheeling Waterford Whispers in the finale at the Cheltenham Festival a month ago, the six-year-old kept chipping away until he finally got on top and with the ‘right’ horses in behind him, the form looks extremely solid. 

A winner over 2m7f on heavy ground at Fairyhouse earlier in the campaign and arriving here freshened up after a break, the son of Milan is fancied to bridge the gap between top class handicaps and Graded level. 

LETS GO CHAMP (best price 9-2) has yet to set the world alight in three starts over fences but he has the sort of profile to strongly suggest there could be more to come and with today’s better ground one of several ingredients to help back up that view, Henry de Bromhead’s inmate is fancied to really come of age on the big stage. 

Extremely lightly-raced for a nine-year-old, he’s obviously taken a while to develop and even now he still looks a work in progress. Not quite good enough to match motors late on with the smart Embassy Gardens here two starts ago, he did jump and travel well for nine tenths of the journey until lack of stamina on the heavy ground found him out over the three miles and last time out at Limerick, he plain and simply couldn’t quicken from the last under similar conditions. 

Impressing with the way he went through an extremely competitive and well-run big-field handicap hurdle here last season, he may have beaten the eventual winner, Kilbeg King, but for being hampered several times on the run down to the last and providing he can get into a similar rhythm on his return to the Kildare venue, he has the quality to play a pivotal role.