Andy Holding's Wednesday Racing Tips

STRADAVARIUS DAVIS (best price 4-1) must have delighted new connections with his first performance since switching from Paul Nicholls and he rates an interesting contender for this similar novices’ chase.

Just once a winner when housed at Ditcheat, the son of Turgeon has clearly had his issues over the years, as his lightly-raced profile suggests, but his display at Newcastle after a 433-day layoff very much indicated there’s a useful engine under the chassis. Trying to make all at the Gosforth Park venue, Sandy Thomson’s inmate railed in very game fashion once headed by Schiehallion Munro two out and in forcing the eventual winner to work extremely hard for his victory, he went down on his shield. Encouragingly, his conqueror has gone on to endorse the form by scoring again next time out and with today’s step up in trip likely to bring about a good deal of improvement, the seven-year-old can give a solid account.

MY MANEKINEKO (best price 4-1) ran out a comfortable winner of a fiercely-competitive handicap at Leopardstown two days ago and in what looks a decent opportunity to strike again, James Nash’s inmate is strongly fancied to convert.

Dropped right out the back at the Dublin track, the 11-year-old still faced a stiff task as the field swept down the back straight but in making up plenty of ground in the final mile, his long, withering run carried to the head of the field approaching the last. Having enough left in his locker to maintain the gallop all the way to the line, the son of Authorised ended up posting the best final circuit sectionals of the three chase races on the card and today’s assignment should just turn out to be an exercise in whether he’s in the same sort of form.

This could well turn out to be a question of who has the better turn of foot inside the final two furlongs and if that proves to be the case, HOME BEFORE DUSK (best price 3-1) has the tools in his armoury to deliver the goods.

Effective between a mile and 1m2f, Keith Dalgleish’s gelding has been in terrific form throughout the winter campaign and his latest of four victories was arguably one of his best. Sat out the back off strong fractions at the Surrey venue 14 days ago, the son of Medicean quickened smartly inside the final two furlongs to reel in his prey and by the winning line he was fully in command. A winner at Newcastle and Wolverhampton over further, the five-year-old is fairly versatile regards trip and tactics and there’s no reason why another solid performance wouldn’t be forthcoming.