Monday Horse Racing Tips from Andy Holding

PILOT SHOW (best price 9-2) is very ground dependant, so keeping one eye on the weather before he lines up here isn’t a bad strategy, but providing conditions stay favourable, Warren Greatrex’s gelding has fair claims of backing up his previous victory at Warwick. 

Twice pulled up on soft ground in the winter, the seven-year-old had to wait until April before encountering a more favourable surface and following two near misses, he made it third time lucky at the Midland venue 39 days ago. 

Digging deep to overcome a couple of niggly mistakes during the three-mile journey, he stayed on strongly in the closing stages to repel his rivals late on and with the form/time figure boosted by the runner-up and fifth since, confidence is high he can follow suit hailing from a stable who have enjoyed a lucrative time during the summer jumping period (even had a 2yo winner last week). 

Postileo has yet to convince in two starts over hurdles and his latest effort on the Flat wasn’t too clever either, so with that in mind, he is worth taking on with KENDANCER (best price 11-2), who arrives here on a crest of a wave. 

A winner of his last two starts in claiming company, Charles Byrnes’ gelding responded well to the refitting of a visor and with both performances achieved with a good deal of panache, there’s a case to be made he wouldn’t be out of place in a much higher grade. 

Given too much to do in a tactical affair on the Flat recently, he did, however, finished off his race to suggest he remains in fine fettle and with tonight’s extra yardage set to suit, this smooth-travelling eight-year-old makes plenty of each-way appeal at the morning odds.

LE COQ HARDI (NAP) (best price 5-2) wasn’t on his own when failing to chase down the tearaway Golden Temple over today’s course last time out but with this field likely to more tightly packed from the start and drop back to the minimum trip not a bad option, Henry De Bromhead’s gelding is fancied to resume winning ways. 

Promising on his first two starts under rules, the five-year-old didn’t have to wait too long to fulfil his potential and a comfortable victory in a maiden hurdle at Down Royal (third won yesterday) elicited a good deal of confidence heading into his latest encounter at tonight’s Lenabane track. 

Sent off 5-2 favourite to account for several in-form rivals a month ago, he found himself a long way off the front runner with a circuit to run and although he did his level best to try and erode the margin, he was always fighting a losing battle against a horse who just kept churning out the fractions. 

Positively ridden when scoring the time before, Rachel Blackmore will have the option of making all the running on her mount tonight if nothing else wants to lead and under those circumstances, the strapping, chasing type could be very hard to displace at the head of affairs.