Thursday Racing Tips from Andy Holding

MADAME AMBASSADOR (best price 4/1) had a consistent profile as a two-year-old and on the evidence of her opening gambit at Doncaster recently, Charlie & Mark Johnston’s filly looks in for another productive campaign.

Not for the first time, the daughter of Churchill was slow away on Town Moor, but it didn’t deter her from running a big race in defeat. The way she kept on in the closing stages of what was a well-run race 20 days ago suggests she’s trained on nicely from two to three and having run well on her only previous visit to today’s track last August, another bold bid looks on the cards.

The time figure of the Thirsk Hunt Cup was such that the form should work out well throughout the months ahead and, as a result, both the winner, REDARNA (best price 18/1), and fifth LION TOWER (best price 14/1) probably deserve a good deal more respect than their position in the market affords them.

The former hadn’t seemed like an obvious improver at the age of eight going into that viciously-competitive mile handicap a month ago, but given the way he won, there didn’t appear any fluke about the performance. Sweeping down the outside from last to first, Dianne Sayer’s gelding quickened past a top-quality field within a few bounds and with his backend sectionals revealing he was as good as some of the sprint races on the same card, he’s clearly showing plenty of vest for a horse technically on the back nine of his career. Whether York is his track can be debated, but he did run better than his finishing suggested here last time (challenged on the wrong side of the course) and at his morning odds, he’s worth a small each-way interest to see if he can take home his biggest prize to date.

The latter has a bit to find with his old rival on their running at the Yorkshire venue, but as Grant Tuer’s gelding was one of the only few to race up with the pace and be involved in the finish, his effort deserves a good deal of praise. Twice a visitor to today’s track previously, the son of Exceed And Excel has run well despite not racing over his optimum trip and from a favourable low draw, the prominent-racing five-year-old should put in a decent shift.

PLAINS INDIAN (best price 11/4) was slightly disappointing in his bid to back up his previous impressive success over today’s C&D at Cork last time out, but as the conditions here this afternoon will be a good deal more favourable to what they were 25 days ago, Andrew Slattery’s gelding can prove he still remains a novice on the upgrade.

Hugely impressive when getting off the mark at the fifth attempt over hurdles, the son of Shantou was well backed to make his mark in handicap company next time, but the combination of heavy ground over 2m3f and, more importantly, being asked to race around the inside on the swamp when the outside was markedly quicker, ultimately took its toll. Back to the scene of his best ever speed figure, the six-year-old chestnut can have little excuse for any shortcomings this time.

Ahorsewithnoname is bound to be a popular choice following her convincing success at Newbury last time out, but there’s always a risk taking a very short price about any horse who hasn’t the experience of racing on the Knavesmire. The same can’t be said, however, for both MASTER MILNER (best price 4/1) and RAVENSCRAIG CASTLE (best price 7/2) and between them they make a formidable duo to play against the favourite.

The former was well behind the favourite at Newbury on his seasonal bow, but the market was very much suggesting that he probably wasn’t at fever-pitch after a 205-day break. Sure to be all the better for that initial outing, Emma Lavelle’s gelding returns to a track where he’s unbeaten in two C&D runs and it’s hard to see him not going well under ideal conditions.

The latter has also run two of his best races of his career on the Knavesmire and a repeat of either would see him go very close on his return visit. Third in a viciously-competitive Melrose Handicap here in August, he then ran another solid race on his final start of the campaign, and with a recent run at Ripon sure to have blown away the cobwebs, there every reason to feel upbeat about his prospects.

KITSUNE POWER (best price 3/1) landed some nice bets when scoring on his seasonal bow at Leicester a month ago and with the form of that competitive handicap having a distinctly strong look to it, Roger Varian’s inmate is taken to back up the view he still remains ahead of the assessor.

The market was saying there were plenty strongly fancied in that three-year-old handicap at the Midland venue, so to win in the manner he did, the Holy Roman Emperor gelding must be pretty useful. That view was also backed up by the clock, as both overall time and closing sectionals were very good, and with the scope for potentially even more to come, it’s hard to envisage him not confirming that opinion over a track that should suit.