Thursday Racing Tips from Andy Holding

BROOMFIELD BIJOU (best price 12/1) looked a mare right on top of her game when handing out a healthy beating to the useful Banntown Girl at Ballinrobe last time out and hailing from connections who took this corresponding race with a similar type last season, lightening has a decent chance of striking twice.

Extremely unlucky not to get off the mark at Navan the time before when badly hampered by a faller at the third last, Philip Dempsey’s inmate was well-supported in her bid to make amends at the Co Mayo venue and, after tracking her main market rival going well from the start, she found a smart change of gear once unleashed rounding the home turn.

Hitting the line really hard and suggesting she had loads left under the bonnet, her winning speed figure backed up the visual impression of her performance and, having been handed a seemingly workable mark of 118 for her handicap debut (runner-up rated 117 and beaten an easy nine lengths), she looks primed to exploit the supposed leniency.

GLOBE PLAYER (best price 11/1) proved no match for the hugely-impressive Diamond Ri over today’s C&D, but it was still a pretty decent start to his racing career for Stuart Edmunds’ gelding and with the strong possibility he can build on that initial outing on his return to the Midland venue, he’s worth a small each-way interest to see whether he can put his valuable experience to good use.

Nibbled at in the pre-race market, there was clearly a fair amount of confidence behind him going well on his opening bow and although he ended up getting beaten a far way in the end, the data from that strongly-run affair suggested he’d be involved in an above-average affair.

Keeping on well enough in the latter stages, he easily proved best of the six trying to keep up with a horse who surely has an extremely bright future and with the third home, Pearl Island, going on to run a race at Ludlow yesterday to suggest the form from the Midland venue is pretty reliable, a similar display from the son of Nathaniel will hopefully see him outrun his morning odd.

John Quinn has enjoyed quite a bit of success with his raids to today’s track in recent times and with ONE MORE DREAM (NAP) (best price 5/2) the latest one to add his name to the Setterington handler’s impressive tally.

A smooth winner on his first visit to the Essex track last November, the four-year-old was well-supported to maintained his unbeaten record here two weeks ago and, having travelled supremely easily throughout what turned out to be a well-run affair, he showed a bright turn of foot to pull readily clear in the closing stages.

Winning with more in hand than the official margin suggests, the son of Bated Breath could have easily come out worse with his subsequent altercation with the assessor than he has done and providing he’s in the same sort of shape on his return to his happy hunting ground, a hat trick of victories looks a distinct possibility.

GATSBY GREY (best price 16/1) has shaped really well on both his starts over three miles and with the latest of those efforts coming in a red-hot handicap at Aintree 12 days ago, Oliver Mckiernan’s gelding has enough credit in the bank with those two efforts to warrant an interest at his morning odds.

Promising when staying on late to finish a respectable fifth on his first attempt at the trip at the DRF, the son of Waldpark looked to face a stiff task on paper on his most recent encounter on Grand National day but to his great credit, he managed to keep tabs with several well-handicap UK-based stayers in the closing stages.

Good enough to chase home the ill-fated, top-class Mighty Potter in a Grade 1 over the minimum trip here last season, the seven-year-old has the body of work to suggest another big run at the Co Kildare venue is on the cards.

IMPERIAL JOE (best price 7/2) is gathering together a pretty impressive CV over today’s course and with his latest success over the C&D going a long way to confirm his liking for the West Country air, Tim Dennis’ gelding looks the one to be with at the prices.

Placed on his first two starts over fences at today’s track, the son of Imperial Monarch has improved immeasurably since being stepped up in trip and following a pretty impressive victory over 2m7f a month ago, he duly repeated the dose on his return visit 14 days ago.

The feature of both performances was the way he jumped and travelled throughout and even though the standard of today’s opponent means he will have to raise his game to another level, conditions are as such he might prove equal to the task.