Thursday Racing Tips from Steve Ryder

The favourite Book Of Tales is respected under a 6lb penalty but I am willing to take a chance on the David Simcock trained PFINGSTBERG (best priced at 4/1) on his handicap debut. The three-year-old has finished well beaten on all three of his career starts to date when beaten 25 lengths, 23 lengths and 19 lengths when sent off 33/1, 200/1 and 100/1.

Pfingstberg now makes his handicap debut off an opening mark of 53 but he crucially now steps up in trip to nearly 1m4f in this race. Connections have booked Jamie Spencer for the ride and I expect to see a much improved effort in this race before possibly following up under a penalty on Monday.

Ger Lyons has had a quiet start to the season but that could mean he has some well handicapped horses in his yard. Hopefully that is the case with SEMANTICS (best priced at 10/1) who runs here from 3lbs “well in” at the weights and also gets fitted with first time blinkers for the first time. The three-year-old was only beaten 3 ¾ lengths on her only handicap start at the Curragh off a mark of 77 before finishing a ¾ length 4th at Navan in a maiden on Sunday.

The handicapper has raised Semantics 3lbs for that effort but she instead runs here off a mark of 75 meaning she is 3lbs “well in” at the weights and she should run well with four places on offer in first time blinkers.

This looks a competitive 0-68 handicap but preference goes to BLUE YONDER (best priced at 7/2) who runs here from 4lbs “well in” at the weights. The Richard Fahey trained three-year-old has been in good form recently in handicaps with form figures of 3112 including victories off marks of 57 and 63. On his previous start he finished only a neck behind Finest Leader at Wetherby off a mark of 69 with the pair pulling 4 ¼ lengths clear of the 3rd.

The handicapper has raised Blue Yonder 4lbs for that effort up to a mark of 73 but he instead runs here off his previous mark of 69 meaning he is 4lbs “well in” at the weights. The in-form Arkenstaar and unexposed Different Tone look to be the main dangers but hopefully Blue Yonder can win off this mark.