Friday Horse Racing Tips from Andy Holding

A tricky start to proceedings but both MR MONACO (best price 6-1) and INSANITY (best price 7-1) have progressive profiles and there’s more than a fair chance one of them will prove good enough to walk away with the prize. 

The former has improved with each run this season and the way Ralph Beckett’s inmate powered up the hill at Sandown to score in a quick time 15 days ago pointed towards him having the necessary capabilities to cope with a step up in trip. 

A good third in a hot three-year-old handicap at Newmarket previously, he has the scope to follow in the footsteps of Sam Cooke, who took this prize three years ago for the same stable. 

The latter also appears to be going in the right direction and unlike Mr Monaco, he has already proven his suitability for 1m4f. Only just outrun by the progressive Mount Atlas at Ascot two starts ago, he made amends on his return visit to the Berkshire venue on Shergar Cup Day and with the speed figure providing a clear picture of his achievements that day, a repeat of a similar level of form should see him bang on the premises. 

ALSAKIB (best price 15-2) has plenty to find with Point Lonsdale on their Chester clash back in May but there’s no doubt Andrew Balding’s grey has improved since and now up to a trip that should suit and over a track that clearly played into his strengths last time, he is fancied to bridge the gap (seven lengths) at the very least. 

Having proven himself a strong stayer in quite a few of the leading middle-distance races as a three-year-old, he always looked the type who could develop into a Cup horse, and his victory over the useful Al Qareem & Co on the Knavesmire last time out went along way to supplement that view. 

In a race that became a war of attrition in the conditions (good-to-soft ground), the four-year-old’s stamina really came to the fore and on the evidence of that display, today’s extra two furlong should be well within his range.

ALL AGLEAM (NAP) (best price 7-2) produced a display that defied her rating at Lingfield last time out and all roads lead to her replicating that performance at a track that should see her to best advantage. 

Unsettled after being taken on for the early lead at the Surrey venue’s all-weather track previously, Andrew Balding’s filly this time had the luxury of setting her own agenda on the straight turf course three weeks later and that tranquillity she was afforded resulted in her running right away from her rivals in the closing stages. 

In lowering the colours of well-fancied pair Etoile D’Alexandre and Scarlet Lady (won since), she clocked a very smart time for the grade and providing she breaks cleanly and gets on the lead early again here this afternoon, she could prove hard to pass. 

The talk of town over the first two days of the meeting has been the effect of the draw, seemingly favouring the low numbered horses, but just as we witnessed at Goodwood several weeks ago, there will come a point when the bias shifts and THE STRIKIN VIKING (best price 7-2) could benefit from jumping on the lesser poached ground towards the nearside rail (last year’s winner Lake Forest was also draw 10 of 10). 

Super impressive both visually and on the clock on his debut over today’s C&D, he thoroughly justified the bold move to send him over the Irish Sea to contest the Group 2 Railway Stakes and his latest effort in the Richmond rubberstamped him as a genuine top quality juvenile sprinter. 

Faring best of those who chased a strong gallop at the Sussex track, it will be interesting to see what sort of tactics will be employed on the son of Inns Of Court on his return to the Knavesmire but either way, he undoubtably has the game to land a race of this nature and on balance, he rates the one to beat. 

Having landed this prize last year, it’s almost impossible to escape the strong claims of REACH (best price 5-1) and following two promising runs so far this campaign, she looks primed to defend her crown.

Poorly drawn here back in May, she stayed on well to finish a creditable third behind the well-treated Botanical (now rated 109) and she went on to fill out the same position in another warm handicap behind the resurgent Ron O a month later. 

Presumably specifically saved for this race ever since, the daughter of Sea The Stars has been handed a favourable draw and with a nice clear run around the inside during the first mile should set her up perfectly for a late challenge. 

Of the rest, AMBIENTE AMIGO (best price 25-1) has twice left the impression she hasn’t quite seen out the trip over 1m4f but now dropping back down two furlongs, James Owen’s filly can take advantage of that decision from connections in this lesser grade. 

Having stayed on at the one-pace over 1m2f at Goodwood back in June, it was easy to see why she was tried over further at Newmarket next time and her effort behind Mistral Star at Newmarket next time went along way to back up that stance. However, having travelled like the winner for a long way over the same C&D last time, she patently didn’t get home once meeting the rising ground and she ended up having to settle for an honourable fourth behind Divine Grace. 

Given both Mistral Star and Divine Grace have won extremely well against stronger opposition at this meeting, she is likely to find the calmer waters of first-time handicap company more suitable and proving Rossa Ryan drops her out from her high draw and gets her to settle early (can be a keen goer), she has every chance of easily outrunning her odds.