Saturday Horse Racing Tips from Andy Holding

It’s often a dangerous game betting in two-year-old contests without knowing all the facts of the unraced horses but HAWKSBILL (best price 5-2) created such an impression first time out at Sandown those worries can be cast to one side. 

A little slow to gather his thoughts at the Esher track, Hugo Palmer’s inmate found himself roughly 15 lengths off the speed as the field turned for home but by the time he’d hit the line, he managed to get the losing margin down to a more than respectable distance. 

Unsurprisingly, his closing sectional of 36.5 from three out was substantially the quickest by any horse on the round track that afternoon and with the strong possibility of a good deal more to come with that initial run under his belt, a race of this nature looks well within his grasp.

To back Andy Holding’s horse racing tips directly through oddschecker at a guaranteed best price, click on the odds below each selection.

STORY HORSE (best price 5-1) left the impression he rather let his latest race at Nottingham slip through his fingers, and he rates a strong choice to back up that view on ground continuing to dry out in his favour. 

A smooth winner at Lingfield previously, he looked an obvious choice on paper to replicate that success in an apprentice handicap under a mandatory penalty five days later but as things panned out, his inexperienced pilot rather mistimed his challenge and the more aggressively ridden Le Rouge Chinois nicked the race over towards the favoured far side rail. 

Possibility unsuited by the tepid nature of the gallop at the Midland venue a return to more conventional contest should hopefully help his cause and with the dead eight runners set to go to post, William Knight’s gelding rates a strong each-way option at the morning odds.

DONACHEADY GALE (best price 11-2) was the only one to offer any resistance to the useful Happy Jacky (won since) at Kilbeggan last time out and all roads lead to another productive outcome in this similar prize under optimum conditions. 

Still in the cheap seats with a circuit to complete 32 days ago, the prospects of him winning remained bleak turning out of the back straight but he really turned on the afterburners after jumping the last and in one more stride he would have prevailed. 

Unsurprisingly, he managed to run the fastest circuit of any horse on the seven-race card, and providing he’s not left with a mountain to climb on this occasion, John Ryan’s inmate can be handsomely rewarded for his overall consistency.