Thursday Horse Racing Tips from Andy Holding

HOUSEMARTIN (best price 17-2) hasn’t run since chasing home a well-handicapped horse of Gavin Cromwell’s over today’s course back in November but prior to that decent effort he had proven himself to be equally effective fresh and that provides a reasonable amount of confidence in the prospect of Edward O’Grady’s going well on his return to the Mallow venue after a mid-winter break. 

Really good both visually and on the clock on his first outing for 189 days at Clonmel back in October, the seven-year-old grey was well supported to follow up a month later and although he ended up failing in his bid, his effort in defeat wasn’t without merit. 

Again, in another well-run affair, the son of Carlotamix travelled nicely throughout but whereas the winner got a dream run up the inside, he ended up getting tangled up in traffic in between the final two flights and by the time he’d extricated himself from the pocket, the dye was cast. 

He did, however, keep on pleasingly on the run to the line and with the strong possibility of an extra half a mile will be helpful to his cause, the lightly raced gelding can back up that theory on his return to the scene of that fine display. 

WAITTILTITELLYOU (best price 9-2) ran out a comfortable winner of this race last season and following two promising efforts so far this term, Edward Cawley’s gelding looks poised to strike for the second year running. 

Incredibly lightly raced for a horse of his age due to series of problems, the 10-year-old shaped well on his first outing for the thick end of a year at Fairyhouse on his return to action and he went on to run just as well in a competitive qualifier for the Pertemps series last time out, keeping on in determined fashion to finish a creditable fifth. 

Likely to be all the better for those two runs, he also has the benefit of heavy ground which he adores and with connections no doubt having targeted this race for some time, the son of Masterofthehorse can execute the long-term plan.

RUNAROUND SIOUX (best price 10-1) hinted that she could turn out to be a good deal better than her original handicap mark when making a successful start to life in her new discipline at Chelmsford last time out and she is taken to back up that viewpoint in this tougher assignment here tonight. 

Held up towards the rear at the Essex venue, Rod Millman’s filly began her charge for glory off the home turn and with a withering run down the outside in the straight, she swept by her main rivals with a smart turn of foot to win going away at the line. 

Looking at her overall time and concluding sectionals that day, they reveal she ran numbers comparable to the 0-80 handicap for older horses won by Billyjoh and given the way she hit the line, stretching out to seven furlongs should also play into her strengths. 

ZEPHLYN (best price 11-2) has hit a rich vein of form since the turn of the New Year and with the strong possibility he will be left alone to row his own boat at the head of affairs, Ewan Whillans’ gelding looks primed to go well again. 

An all-the-way winner at Newcastle three starts ago, the five-year-old came here as a warm favourite in a bid to repeat the dose and although he made a brave attempt to justify his position in the market, he found one too good in the shape of the in-form, Eagle’s Realm.

Suffering a similar fate back at Gosforth Park 18 days ago, he’s clearly vulnerable to a deep-closer who pounces late on, but safe in the knowledge Jason Hart gets the fractions right from the front more often than not, the combination is worth another chance at the morning prices.