Thursday Horse Racing Tips from Andy Holding

Ability to handle the undulations of the Rowley Mile has to be seen as a massive advantage and WOODHAY WONDER (best price 8-1), the only C&D winner in today’s field, can hopefully put that valuable commodity to good use and carry on where she left off last season. 

Tom Ward’s filly first sprung to prominence when landing a competitive maiden at Newbury on her second outing and she went on to run a creditable race behind two highly-regarded two-year-olds over on the July Course at Group 2 level next time. 

Back to the scene of that fine performance, she continued her progression by capturing a valuable sales event, in turn, defying a poor draw, and she went on to scoop another big pot when switching tracks in a similar heat on her final start of the campaign. 

Chasing a strong pace set by the trail-blazing Zoulu Chief that day, the daughter of Tamayuz came with an irresistible run from two out that eventually propelled herself clear to the tune of four lengths and with the speed figure also speaking favourably of her effort, it’s hard to fathom why the assessor saw fit to leave her virtually on the same mark. 

How well she has done from two to three only time will tell, but if she can run somewhere near a similar level she did when last seen 194 days ago, there’s a strong possibility she will play a part in today’s finish.

PRETENDING (best price 5-1) has had the misfortune to bump into a couple of progressive types on her last two starts and this reliable mare looks to have enough strong form in the book to offer plenty of confidence she can go one place better than she did at this corresponding meeting last season. 

Runner-up to the Ludlow specialist, Della Casa Lunga, two starts ago, the numbers suggested she’d run pretty well in defeat that day, and even though she occupied the same position behind I Love My Baie at Newbury last time, time my tell she actually ran to an even higher standard at the Berkshire venue. 

The reason for thinking that was the case was the overall time figure and final lap sectionals were a good deal better than the likes of maiden hurdle winner Goodwin (rated 124) and Mares Only Final hero All The Glory (123) and with today’s trip, ground and track all seen as huge positives, Lucy Wadham’s mare makes plenty of appeal to continue her overall consistency. 

It’s highly unlikely CAMBRIDGE (best price 8-1) will join stable mate City Of Troy in the 2000 Guineas line-up as Aidan O’Brien’s colt is seen more as a Derby prospect by connections, unless he does something incredible here today, but it has to be of some significance he’s allowed to start his campaign in one of the most prestigious trials and he might well turn out to be the surprise package in a race full of unknown quantities. 

Promising after a slow start on his debut at Roscommon last August, the son of Dubawi was sent over the Irish Sea to Salisbury in a bid to shed the maiden tag and although he was made to work harder than anticipated, he ultimately got the job done. 

Raised in class for his final start as a juvenile, the perceived second strong behind stable mate Grosvenor Square was set a pretty stern task in a Group 3 at Leopardstown, held up fully five to six lengths off the pace turning for home, but to his great credit, he stayed on in determined fashion to narrow the deficit down at the finish. 

Despite his defeat at the Dublin venue, he still posted a time figure in line with his previous victory on better ground and even though he faces no easy task today up against several with big reputations, he can prove he is no shrinking violet at rewarding odds.