Thursday Horse Racing Tips from Andy Holding

NED TANNER (best price 7/1) bumped into some useful novices during his first season over fences, coming out on top twice in five starts, and being one of today’s field that is open to the most improvement, a chance is taken on him being somewhere near his best on his first start for 211 days.

Strongly fancied to make a winning start in his new vocation at Kelso this time last year, Nick Alexander’s gelding forfeited any chance he may have had with a bad blunder at the second last, but he soon made amends when accounting for the useful Git Maker on his return to the Borders venue a month later.

Unravelled by proper heavy ground on his return to the same C&D next time, he bounced back to his best two months later thanks to a more suitable surface, this time getting the better of another progressive type in the shape of Latitude, who went on to win on his next two starts.

Unsuited by a slowly run affair when dropped back down to 2m4f at Haydock on his final start of the campaign, he returns to the fray over his optimum trip and with his current mark of 120 more than workable now he heads into open handicap company, the ever-consistent seven-year-old can kick start this term with another positive outcome.

SWING TO THE STARS (best price 8/1) has still to register her first success after nine starts but there have been more positive signs of late that her winning turn isn’t too far away and returning to the scene of one of her better runs in recent times, Ian Williams’ inmate can finally lay the ghost to rest.

Held up in mid division here last week, the daughter of Sea The Stars was noted still going well as the field turned for home but just as many around her made their move, she got blocked in behind a wall of horses. Once out in the clear she finished off her race well enough, but she ended up being too far out of her ground to make an impact on the main players and she had to settle for a position just outside the placings.

That said, such was the time figure of the race she still ended up posting a very good number for her rating and providing she can be switched off in the manner she was seven days ago, there’s every chance she will have a say in the outcome.