Thursday Horse Racing Tips from Andy Holding

OCEAN BLISS (best price 7/2) shaped a good deal better than the bare result suggested on her debut in a big-field maiden at the Curragh for Jessica Harrington and even though she must overcome an absence of 151 days, a chance is taken new connections will have her close enough to peak fitness for her to make her presence felt in this much less competitive affair.

Sen off a 20-1 shot at the Kildare venue, her chances of defied those odds must have quadrupled in a matter of seconds as she totally fell out of the gates and by halfway, she still found herself languishing at the rear with only fresh air behind her.

From that point onwards, however, the daughter of El Kabeir really picked up the bridle and inside the last two furlongs she picked off rivals at such a rapid rate, she ended up finishing just seven lengths behind eventual winner Megarry.

Switched to Michael Appleby in the interim, she arrives here one of the most interesting runners in the field and with today’s extra furlongs likely to prove more beneficial, a sharper break from the gates should allow her to be a potent challenger throughout.

KINGWELL (best price 9/1) has been running well over the extended mile at Wolverhampton during the winter without managing to get his head in front and on the basis that he is well worth another attempt at today’s trip, a chance is taken on the son of Kingman coming up trumps. 

His latest effort, for instance, reads well in the context of today’s assignment and the way he stayed on in the closing stages off decent fractions certainly lends itself to the theory he might be better over further. So far, the form from the race at the Dunstall Park track looks solid with Surprise Picture going on to score on his return visit on Tuesday and providing the five-year-old settles down into a nice early rhythm from his favourable inside draw, he should end up being more than just a bit part player. 

BOBBY JOE LEG (best price 5/1) arrives here in top shape courtesy of one of his best performances for some time and although it’s not in tablets of stone that the 10-year-old will repeat the display, he’s at least at the only other track where he is more likely than not to run his race. 

A veteran of 86 races, 79 of them on the all-weather, you could have forgiven Ruth Carr’s gelding if he’d packed up his toolkit and settled down with his pipe and slippers a long time ago but as we witnessed at Newcastle last time out, his appetite for the game still burns bright. 

The free-going and well backed Greenwich ensured the pace was strong at the Gosforth Park venue and, as a result, it helped the chestnut gelding overcome his poor draw (stall 1). Able to draft in behind the speed, he picked up nicely once pulled out wide and in beating a useful field, he ended up clocking a smart time figure for the grade. 

Just touched off by the useful Visibility the last time he encountered today’s C&D, he returns off a lower mark and in a much weaker race on paper, so there can be no excuses if he fails to feature.

TENERIFE SUNSHINE (best price 7/2) came home strongest of all in a good quality contest for the grade at Kempton last time out and a performance of similar magnitude should be enough to see Charlie Johnston’s chestnut make an advancement on that fourth-place finish 15 days ago. 

Buffeted around at the start, the four-year-old chestnut got shuffled back through the pack down the back straight, so much so that by the time he turned for home, he found himself in a very uncompromising position. To his great credit, therefore, to close off the race the way he did to finish only a length and a half behind the winner says a lot for his tenacity and it’s a performance from which to build a decent foundation around going forward. 

Admittedly, he could have done with a better draw here this evening, but at least he should get a clear passage from the outside to the first corner and if finding himself in a decent position going down the back straight, a positive outcome should be forthcoming thereafter.