Andy Holding's Thursday Racing Tips

Plenty of the usually suspects face the starter for this competitive mile contest and one of them, FIRMAMENT (best price 12-1), looks almost certain to play some sort of part in the outcome.

A winner of this race in 2016, David O’Meara’s gelding had gone on to finish third in the last two season and with overall form figures on the Knavesmire that read, 123321, it’s crystal clear that this track suits him down to the ground. Despite arriving here under a bit of cloud back in June, the son of Cape Cross still managed to raise his game well enough to land a competitive seven-furlong handicap and that performance was backed up by another solid effort in an even tougher contest at Ascot last time out. Nicely drawn in the middle of the pack, still well enough treated on the pick of his best form (third in 2017 off 109) and comfortable on today’s slightly rain-eased ground, the durable seven-year-old rates a concrete each-way pick around the 12-1 mark – especially with those firms who are offering six places.

WHITEMOUNTAINFAIRY (best price 8-1) endured a nightmare passage at Goodwood last time out and even though she’s fared pretty badly with today’s draw in stall 18, she still has to be worth a small interest to show the true value of her ability.

Awkward leaving the gates at the Sussex track, Andrew Balding’s filly soon found herself with a mountain to climb positioned in last place as the field turned for home, but to her great credit she somehow managed to finish hot on the heels of the leaders despite meeting all sorts of trouble in running. Indeed, such was the level of interference, it’s easy to come to the conclusion she probably would have won without all the mishaps along the way and using that theory as a guide to her chances today, she clearly has more than enough running in her legs to give her some sort of opportunity to make amends.

Even though CHAPMANSHYPE (best price 9-4) has been beaten on his last two starts, he still comes across as an improving type and he’s taken to back up that notion in what appears a slightly weaker contest on paper than his previous assignments. A game winner of a tight handicap at Ffos Las back in May, Jamie Snowden’s inmate has run perfectly respectably in both his two subsequent defeats and there was certainly no disgrace by finishing third Cubswin at Newton Abbot last time. Held up off the pace, the son of Alzavoski just didn’t have the natural pace to go with a horse who’d largely been performing at a higher level, but it was still pleasing to see him keep on all the way to the line to suggest he’s worth keeping on side for another day. With Skeaping likely to make this a decent test, the five-year-old can been seen to good effect in the latter stages and his morning odds seem more than fair considering the overall positivity surrounding his prospects.