Thursday Horse Racing Tips from Andy Holding

SUPASUNRISE (best price 3/1) made it two wins in eight starts over fences with game effort at Warwick last time out and with that victory going a long way to prove he can handle soft ground as well as good, Nigel Twiston-Davies’ inmate has a decent opportunity to follow up under similar conditions. 

As most of his best form had come on a sounder surface, there was a sight concern the rain which had fallen at the Midland venue might found him out but as it turned out, there was no need for any pre-match nerves as he proved by staying on strongest of all in the closing stages.

Clocking a useful time figure for the grade, the form has already begun to work out with the third winning at Ludlow yesterday and despite facing the potential threat of the Harry Derham-trained Hard Frost, the seven-year-old can put his fitness to good use.

IDEAL DU TABERT (best price 7/1) ultimately ended up getting beaten a far way at Cork last time out but for a large portion of the 2m5f journey he had the field at full stretch and now dropping back to a trip likely to suit his run style, Cian Collins’ gelding has the potential to upset several more higher profile names. 

Placed on several occasions over hurdles but without a win, the five-year-old had his attentions switched to chasing for the first time out the Mallow venue last time out and having picked up the running well over a circuit from home, he made for a bold sight until his petrol gauge flashed on empty after two out.

However, the way he travelled and attacked his fences for the thick end of two miles suggested his new vocation is going to be his bag and it’s good to see connections clearly quite keen to make full use of his natural speed.

Runner-up to the highly regarded Welcom To Cartries in an Irish point, he has enough quality to win a race of this nature and with a degree of intent elicited with the sight of Jack Kennedy booked, the son of Balko could get quite a few of these in a spin. 

The combination of racing keenly on the sharp end over a stiff 1m4f ultimately broke the back of LETABA (best price 13/2) at Newcastle last time out but now heading back in the direction of a more positive result over today’s C&D the time before, Ed Dunlop’s gelding can perform better than her morning odds suggest. 

Having never made the running previously, it was rather an odd decision to take the three-year-old to the front at the Gosforth Park track and although he was still in the lead and held every chance two furlongs out, there was an air of inevitability he was going to fold over a trip he wasn’t guaranteed to stay. 

Prior to that below par effort, however, he had shown a fair level of form when chasing home Elshaameq in a good race for the grade at tonight’s course and providing he reverts to type and is given a chance to work himself into the contest from halfway, there’s a decent chance he can have a say in the outcome.

BORGI (best price 11/2) is developing into a proper all-weather performer in recent times and following another solid effort at Wolverhampton last time out, Sean Woods’ inmate can go along way to adding to his current stats of 122162. 

Trying different tactics at the Midland track, the son of Anjaal was sent to the front at an early stage 23 days ago and after setting decent fractions throughout, he only succumbed to the late thrust of lightly raced three-year-old Bint Al Daar.

Timewise, his effort in defeat was right up there with some of his best and providing connections decide not to be too aggressive with him here tonight, another positive outcome should be forthcoming.