Thursday Racing Tips from Steve Ryder

This looks to be between last time out winners Hurstwood, Claim The Stars and INDIAN SOUNDS (best priced at 2/1) who escapes a penalty for his Pontefract victory 10 days ago. The Paul Midgley trained seven-year-old was winning for the first time since 2020 where he had dropped down from a career high mark of 91 down to a career low mark of 64. 

Indian Sounds won an apprentice handicap easily at Pontefract by 3 ¾ lengths and he actually gets to run here off a 1lb lower mark in this race. The handicapper has given him a new rating of 70 so he is 7lbs “well in” at the weights and I expect him to prove hard to beat with Graham Lee taking over on board.

This looks a fiercely competitive 0-105 handicap but I am willing to take a chance on CLOUDBREAKER (best priced at 20/1) from 4lbs “well in” at the weights. The Charlie Fellowes trained filly was good enough to win a 7f novice race on her second start at the July Course in Newmarket last season and she put in a career best performance last time when 4th in a listed race at Newbury last time behind the likes of Warm Heart and Bluestocking.

That run was over 1m2f where Cloudbreaker stayed on well at the finish shaping like this step up in trip to 1m4f should suit. The handicapper has given her a revised rating of 93 but she instead runs here off a mark of 89 meaning she is 4lbs “well in” at the weights and coming from Stall 22 will mean that Kieran Shoemark will have plenty of time to decide where he wants to slot into position. Bookmakers are offering up to six places on the race and I expect her to run well from the bottom of the weights. 

Long Tradition is respected on his return from 607 days off the track but preference goes to the in-form ONE STEP BEYOND (best priced at 7/2) who won on his stable debut last time for Gary Moore. The six-year-old won on his final start for Roger Ingram in February off a mark of 64 before making a winning stable debut a week ago at Kempton off a mark of 67.

One Step Beyond won by 3 lengths that day under Connor Planas in an apprentice handicap and he gets to run here unpenalised for that victory. The handicapper has raised him 8lbs up to a mark of 75 meaning he is 8lbs “well in” at the weights in this race and I expect him to prove hard to beat. 

Form figures of 059-40 wouldn’t inspire confidence in GREAT MAX (best priced at 100/1) but I am willing to take a chance on him at a wild price. The four-year-old was a high class juvenile who finished 3rd in the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot before finishing 5th behind Native Trail in a Group 2 at Newmarket and a Group 1 at the Curragh later that season. 

Great Max is yet to add to his debut victory at Newbury but he ran with credit to finish 4th behind subsequent Royal Hunt Cup winner Jimi Hendrix at Newbury on his reappearance off a mark of 99. He now runs off a mark of 97 following a below par run at Newmarket last time but he could outrun his odds in first time cheekpieces with up to seven places available. 

The final race of the day looks a weak 0-60 handicap but I am taking a chance on GAUTREY (best priced at 12/1) on his handicap debut. The Tony Carroll trained four-year-old has shown very little on his first three career starts when sent off 80/1, 100/1 and 250/1 at Wolverhampton and Kempton this season. 

Those runs came over trips of a mile and 7f and it is now interesting that Gautrey steps up in trip to 1m2f on his handicap debut. His best performance came on his only start over a mile where he was only beaten 6 ¾ lengths so this trip should suit him better and a chance is taken off an opening handicap mark of 57.