Saturday Horse Racing Tips from Andy Holding

GRISELDA (best price 11-2) has been riding the wave of the George Scott team in recent weeks and she well capable of keeping the ball rolling even off her revised mark of 83. 

Since scrapping home on handicap debut at Pontefract (soft ground), the daughter of Kodi Bear has really thrived both mentally and physically and after toying with previous winner Nad Alshiba Green at Lingfield, she ran out an equally impressive winner at Thirsk last time out. 

Showing a smart turn of foot to capture both races, being switched off to produce such an effort has clearly been the key to her transformation, and even though she will have to improve again to win at today’s much higher level, there’s every chance she will prove equal to the task on ground that suits. 

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Align The Stars, the only three-year-old in the line-up, has the sort of progressive profile to suggest he could be difficult to beat but at the same time, he faces no mean task up against more established handicappers, of which FAIRBANKS (best price 7-2) and DANCING IN PARIS (best price 9-1) make the most appeal. 

The former arrives here in top shape following a convincing display at Newmarket and it was a performance that also proved he stayed 1m6f well. Good on the numbers at HQ, it’s also worth remembering he has a victory over today’s course next to his name and the combination of many positive factors in his direction make him the one most likely to put the wind up the favourite. 

Outside of the most likely winners, the latter must come into the conversation based on her last two starts and at the morning odds, she is a worth a small saver. 

Victorious over subsequent winner Tactician at Ascot on her penultimate outing, she probably just failed to see out the two miles at Newbury last time out but with the speed figure good and the form holding up nicely in the opener here yesterday, Ian Williams’ gelding can go well dropping back to 1m6f over a track where he has gone well in the past. 

AMBIENTE AMIGO (best price 7-1) had no right to finish as close as she did over today’s C&D considering the energy she expended during the early part of the contest and providing she switches off a little better on her return visit, she can add further valuable black type onto her cv. 

Held up towards the rear in a race that turned out to be strongly run, James Owen’s filly spent the first mile of the 1m4f journey pulling her pilot’s arms out so to end up finishing a creditable third is testimony to her ability. 

Coming out of the race with a career high speed figure and her reputation enhanced, faith is pinned on Silvestre De Sousa getting her to relax her this time around. 

CAIUS CHORISTER (best price 3-1) is undoubtably one of the strongest stayers in the field and hailing from a yard who struck with a nice winner here yesterday, David Menuisier’s mare can round off the week for the local handler in style.

The five-year-old has been dining at the top table for the best part of a year and although she wasn’t quite up to the standard of The Gold Cup at Royal Ascot last time, she was also not totally disgraced. 

Prior to that effort, she was only just touched off by two of the main flagbearers in this division, namely Sweet William and Coltrane, on her two previous starts and a repeat of either performance should be good enough to see her repeat her victory at this meeting two years ago.

Quite a classy handicap, with many of the participants having tackled pattern company at some stage and of those who come via that route, BALLYMOUNT BOY (best price 10-1) arguably takes the biggest drop in grade. 

Runner-up in last season’s Acomb in a Group 3 at York, Adrian Keatley’s inmate proved no match for Rosallion and Co at Group 1 level in the Lagadere at Longchamp the following month but he did round off the campaign on a high by capturing a listed contest at Doncaster. 

Down the field in the Greenham on his seasonal bow at Newbury, he looked to have a stiff task on his hands against confirmed campaigners such as Montassib and Kinross in the Group 3 Chipchase at Newcastle last time out but despite being sent off 33-1, he showed plenty more spark by finishing an eye catching sixth. 

Coming home strongly from two out despite being unduly punished, he left the impression a return to seven furlongs would be more beneficial, especially on a sound surface, and from a reasonable draw in stall 6, he can fare better than some of his stable companions have done here this week (Bill’s Baar got a shocking passage in his race two days ago).