Andy Holding's Thursday Horse Racing Tips

KILFENORA (best price 7-2) caught everyone unawares with his shock 50-1 success at Punchestown last time out (50-1 and 66-1 twice on his three previous outings), but with the well-beaten third home that day, Geneva Barracks, going on to advertise the form next time out at Down Royal, the result looks a totally believable one. Moreover, his final circuit time at the Co Kildare venue of 2.29.1 amazingly bettered the one achieved by Limini and Apple’s Jade (2.30.2) on the same card, so if Edward Harty’s charge can run up to a similar standard 36 days on, there’s no reason why he won’t put up a bold show on ground he clearly relishes.

DEAUVILLE CRYSTAL (NAP) (best price 2-1) coped admirably with a strong pace when landing a valuable and competitive juvenile handicap at Newbury on Saturday and with sound gallop assured here with Evening Hush in the line-up, Nigel Hawke’s filly is fancied to continue the good recent form of her stable. Unsuited by the muddling pace at Sandown the time before, the daughter of Raven’s Pass looked much more comfortable when they were trapping along at the Berkshire venue five days ago and even though the drying ground that day also had an effect on the end product, she has got plenty of solid soft-ground form in the bag previously to offer no fears under today’s conditions.

Amour De Nuit ran out a facile winner of a C&D handicap here 10 days ago, but the race did kind of fall apart with two of his main market rivals departing the scene at the second last, so life won’t be easy under a 7lb penalty. Despite being held by the favourite from an earlier encounter over today’s track, CIGARISI (best price 11-2) has improved in the interim and he makes plenty of appeal as a solid each-way alternative. Third on his next outing against two subsequent winners in the shape of Mr Clarkson and Ridgeway Flyer, Philip Hobbs’ charge finally got his just rewards for those series of fine placed efforts with a game success at Plumpton on his latest outing and with his time figures suggesting that he’s run to a decent standard every time he’s set foot on a racecourse, another positive display looks very much in the offing from this consistent son of Kalanisi.

Although TWO SWALLOWS (best price 13-2) was slightly disappointing when a well-beaten favourite last time out at Ludlow, things didn’t quite pan out for her as anticipated and she’s well worth another chance stepping up to a trip that should suit. Impressing with her stamina the way she bounded up the hill at Towcester the time before, Ben Pauling’s charge was just a little too keen for her own good at the Shropshire venue 28 days ago and now back in the hands of a stronger, professional jockey, the seven-year-old mare is taken to get back on track.