Goodwood Tips: Andy Holding's Tuesday Racing Tips

The John Smith’s at York is always a reliable piece of 1m2f form and this year’s renewal should turn out to be no different with both FIFTH POSITION (best price 7-1) and TINANDALI (best price 7-1) set to fly the flag for the Knavesmire heat in this similar contest.

The former was strongly-fancied 10 days despite a poor draw and he ended up running as well as could be expected in the circumstances by finishing a close-up third. Looking likely to win two out, Roger Varian’s inmate flattened out inside the final furlong, just finding the one pace, but maybe there might be more to it than meets the eye as connections have reached for the blinkers for the first time in order to find a bit more possible improvement. Either way, with solid course form in the bank and ground to suit, the four-year-old should go well.

The latter had a rather more circuitous route in the same race, ending up coming home well from a long way off the pace to finish just outside the frame. It has to be said, he may have finished a little closer had he not endured a particularly troubled passage and that effort along with his solid performance in a similarly competitive race at Epsom previously very much lend to the theory Kevin Ryan’s gelding isn’t too far off making a breakthrough in one of these big handicaps. He too, deserves plenty of respect. 

D’BAI (best price 12-1) has seen the backside of his stable mate Space Blues on both times they’ve met this season, so it’s easy to see why William Buick would stay loyal to the latter, but that doesn’t mean to say it’s a wise idea to totally discount the former, especially over a course where anything can and does happen. 

Slightly unlucky with how the race panned out against his old friend at Haydock on his first outing of the season, Charlie Appleby’s gelding then went on to be a clear second best in a tactical race at Longchamp. Seen to much better effect with a true gallop to run at back at the Merseyside venue last timeout, the son of Dubawi posted one of his best career efforts on the numbers and having been extremely unlucky in this corresponding race two years ago, he’s fancied to play a more significant role than his odds imply.

George Scott was unlucky with an improving and lightly-raced three-year-old in the shape of Moll Davis at this meeting last year, so there will be some sort of poetic justice if similar type, AU CLAIRE DU LUNE (best price 11-2), were to make amends in this concluding fillies’ handicap. 

A promising fifth in an above-average fillies’ maiden at Kempton on debut, the daughter of Sea The Stars proceeded to build on that initial effort when running out a comfortable winner against the colts at Doncaster next time out, clocking a decent speed figure into the bargain. Pitched into handicap company off what looked a fair opening mark, she had the misfortune to bump into a similarly well-treated three-year-old in the shape of A Star Above, but with the pair pulling miles clear of the rest, again in a fast time, it’s easy to draw to the conclusion she still remains on the improve. An honest type who settles and stay well, Au Claire Du Lune rates one of the more interesting members of the field.

CHAMPERS ELYSEES (NAP) (best price 4-1) earned the right to have a stab at pattern company following her impressive display at the Curragh on her seasonal reappearance and with the ground coming in her favour too, she looks set to continue the unstoppable form of her red-hot handler. 

Progressive last season with a win at the Co Kildare venue being the highlight, the daughter of Elzaam picked up where she left off when returning there a month ago, running out a cosy scorer over a competitive field of handicappers. In a race run at a sound clip, the three-year-old filly impressed with the way she travelled up to the leaders two out and then showing a smart turn of foot, she completely left her 16 rivals for dead in a very short space of time. Understandably getting a little tired close home, she did have her advantage to half-a-length at the line but the winning margin doesn’t do her total justice and she did still manage to run the last three furlongs in an identical time to the one posted by Irish 2000 Guineas hero, Siskin, on the same card. Sure to be all the better for that initial run, she’s likely to prove to be more at home under today’s easier surface and having also bagged a handy draw in stall four, it would be a surprise if she wasn’t involved in the finish granted normal luck in running. 

Having won this race before and arriving here off the back of a positive display at the Curragh, Surrounding would have been considered a decent bet, but the combination of a bad draw and unsuitable soft ground rather tempers enthusiasm and she’s passed over for those reasons on this occasion. 

As we witnessed here yesterday, Michael Mulvany has his team in excellent shape at present and the Co Meath handler looks to have a strong hand in this competitive little three-year-old handicap sending both INN FROM THE COLD (best price 12-1) and COMFORT LINE (best price 20-1) to post with leading claims despite the presence of last night’s winner Flying Scotsman lurking in the background. 

The former arrives here in better shape that his form figures suggest, being involved in races where the tempo has been strong and the competition arguably just as good, if not better than what he faces today. His fifth behind the likes of subsequent winners Delphi and Sonnyboyliston at Navan two starts ago is about as good as it gets regarding current 1m2f three-year-old handicap form and his latest effort when filling out the same position while being stuck out on the wing at the Curragh was also against some top-quality performers from the same generation. A strong finisher on his only outing over today’s course here last year, a stiff mile should prove right up his street and with plenty of solid form next to his name on soft ground, it makes little sense – certainly to this writer – how he can be chalked up at 20-1. 

The same comments also apply to the latter who similarly looks a crazy price based his recent exploits and he seems to have fairly strong claims of his own. Although he took nine attempts to get off the mark, there was a lot to like the way he scored at Limerick last time out and with the time figure easily the best on the card 11 days ago, there’s plenty of substance attached to his effort. Like his stable mate, he’s also got plenty of solid form on soft ground (fourth to subsequent Ascot winner Russian Emperor at Naas) and even though he’s yet to step foot on tonight’s track, his morning odds more than compensate for the risk.

Solid form in a similar big-field handicap around here has to count for plenty in the final analysis and having ticked that box with a sound effort in the Ahonoora Handicap at Ballybrit last season, ON A SESSION (best price 7-1) looks a must for anyone’s shortlist. 

Always well placed in that strong handicap over seven-furlongs twelve months ago, the son of Noble Mission just lost his place at a crucial moment as the front-running Laughifuwant slipped the field on the home turn and even though he did his level best to claw back the deficit, it ended up being a forlorn chase. That said, it was still a fair effort by a horse having his first outing around the unique track and it will give both him and his connections’ confidence of going well again on his return visit. Warming up nicely for tilt at this big prize with a more than satisfactory performance in a keenly-contested race at Cork last time which contained many of today’s rivals, Aidan Fogarty’s inmate kept on well down the outside without looking like winning, but with the easy underfoot conditions more in his favour this afternoon, there’s a decent chance he can turn the form around with some of the better fancied horses and from a good draw in stall four, he should be good enough to hit the frame at the very least (most firms paying five places).