Thursday Racing Tips from Andy Holding

BONNY ANGEL (best price 9/2) took a while to hit top gear at Leicester last time out, but once she did, she became an irresistible force and with today’s track and extra yardage set to suit Clive Cox’s filly down to the ground, she’s strongly fancied to follow up that initial success. 

Unsuited by the drop back to the minimum trip at Sandown two starts ago, the daughter of Harry Angel was given a more than workable mark for handicap debut when stepped back up to six-furlongs at the Midland track two week later and although she huffed and puffed to get the job done, ultimately she ran out a convincing enough winner.

The key component to that success was her work inside the final furlong and the way she hit the line, suggested there could be plenty more to come. Good enough to finish third to the potentially top class Trillium in a hot maiden at Newbury earlier in the campaign, this likeable filly, who should be doing all her best work at the business end, rates a strong choice down the front end of the market. 

MAGICAL SUNSET (best price 3/1) was good enough to lower the colours of the highly-regarded Sakheer on her debut at Windsor and with the speed figure speaking favourably of the performance of Richard Hannon’s filly, she’s strongly fancied to follow in the footsteps of the runner-up 24 days ago, and advertise the value of the form. 

Despite being sent off at 14/1 at the Berkshire venue, she certainly knew her job, and after working herself into a challenging position at the halfway stage, the daughter of Kodiac showed a sharp turn of foot to repel her main rival in the run to the line. What was also pleasing was the pair pulled well clear of the rest and with the distinct likelihood of even further improvement to come, this 340k purchase can go some way to repaying that price tag. 

Some big southern stables represented in this competitive seven-furlong handicap, but it might well that one of only three northern-based horses in the race, BILLYB (best price 15/2), proves good enough to get in amongst his sexier rivals. 

The only C&D winner in today’s field courtesy of a smart performance on the clock here three starts ago, Ann Duffield’s gelding has subsequently gone on to just narrowly miss out on following up on his next two outings, the latest of which came in a hugely-competitive contest at Thirsk.

Staying strongly in the latter stages of another well-run affair, the son of Raven’s Pass came out best of those that were held up at the Yorkshire venue and a repeat of something similar should see this consistent and likeable type right of the thick of the action again. 

Sly Madam arrives here in tremendous form following here her fourth win of the season over C&D today’s 10 days ago, but whether she would want the ground as soft is open to debate. MAYSONG (NAP) (best price 7/2), in contrast, will relish the underfoot conditions, and at the morning odds, he makes far more appeal in a race where leading candidates are thin on the ground. 

A comfortable winner over subsequent scorer Crystal Casque in an amateur rider’s event at Sandown back in July, Alice Haynes’ gelding has run well without winning since and to highlight his current wellbeing, you only have to look at his latest effort at Goodwood.

Racing over a trip that probably isn’t his optimum, the son of Mayson still managed to finish a close-up third behind the bang-in-form Precisely, and with the speed figure going a long way to suggesting in was a performance of some repute, he’s clearly holding his form together nicely.

Runner-up, over today’s C&D earlier in the campaign, a confirmed performer on soft ground and back down in Class 5 company, the list of positives all add up to make the five-year-old the most obvious alternative to the favourite. 

GLASSTREES (best price 10/3) is putting together a nice series of performances on an all-weather surface and with one of his main contributors to that record being today’s course, Michael Appleby’s filly is fancied to continue the general trend. 

4234 at the Essex venue, her latest effort here over five-furlongs suggested she may be seen in a better light over further (got too far back) and there was nothing about her most recent performance at Southwell to detract from that view. Nicely drawn and at a level she’s more than comfortable, another solid display should be forthcoming from the daughter of Heeraat.