Andy Holding's Wednesday Racing Tips

It’s likely we haven’t seen the best of Acey Milan over hurdles so far to date, but even if he runs to maximum capacity, Anthony Honeyball’s inmate will do well to contain BADDESLEY KNIGHT (NAP) (best price 23-10) who has already exhibited the level of form to suggest he’s an above-average recruit. A smooth winner of a bumper over today’s course towards the backend of last season despite drifting left on the run-in, Chris Gordon’s six-year-old made a promising start to his life over hurdles when a creditable fourth in a useful novice contest at Newbury back in November. Although he failed to better that finishing position at Sandown next time out, he actually ran a good deal better than the bare result suggested, and as the race in question has gone to work out incredibly well since (Phoenix Way, Hold The Note, Greanateen, and Zanza all won), his performance deserved upgrading. Making no mistake when a well-backed favourite last time out, he once again showed a likely for today’s C&D and even though the conditions at the Sussex track are due to be a good deal more testing, this embryonic chaser has the capabilities to handle the ground and keep his career trajectory going in the right direction.

Quite a few of these are arriving here off the back of lengthy layoffs whereas the wellbeing of STORMY TALE (best price 7-2) isn’t so cloudy, and that’s one of the main reason’s Michael Mulvany’s grey rates a fairly confident choice to put up a bold show in a race paper thin with solid recent form. A useful performer on the level, the daughter of Stormy River made a bright start to her life in her new discipline when keeping on well to finish on the coat tails of the red-hot favourite for the Triumph Hurdles, Sir Erec, at Leopardstown, and that effort was backed up by another creditable display in a similar event at Punchestown. Although beaten ten lengths on her latest racecourse visit, she once again shaped with plenty of promise in another above-average juvenile contest at Naas, and with today’s affair seen as very much a step down in terms of overall quality, it would be something of a surprise if she didn’t turn out to be a massive player.

DE MAZZARO (best price 13-2) was practically useless on the Flat, but since switching codes and being fitted with a hood his overall level of form and fortunes have taken a turn for the better and following another promising effort when fourth in a competitive big-field handicap last time out, Tom McCourt’s gelding is fancied to give it another good go in his bid to finally shed the maiden tag. Running extremely well for a 66-1 poke on hurdling debut at Cork back in November, the son of So You Think has been set some pretty stiff tasks subsequently, but his performance at the Co Kildare venue 30 days ago certainly indicated that there are races to be won with him off his current rating. Up to 2m4f for the first time, the five-year-old shapes like he will appreciate the extra distance and if so, he has the qualities to figure in the final assessments.

AFFLUENCE (best price 9-2) was extremely unlucky not to land a bit of a touch in a similar race at Chelmsford last time out and he’s strongly fancied to make amends with a clear run nine day on. Placed in his previous three starts, Martin Smith’s gelding has clearly been threatening to shed his maiden tag for a while and if it wasn’t for him being taken down a blind alley at the Sussex venue, he would be arriving here with a one next to his name. The way he finished off his race once out in the clear, however, at least suggested there was plenty of petrol left under the bonnet and with the cheekpieces still in operation and tonight’s trip set to suit, it’s hard not to be anything other than positive about his claims – especially at the morning odds.