Thursday Horse Racing Tips from Andy Holding

SEA THE DREAM (best price 11-4) ultimately won with a fair bit in hand at Thirsk on his seasonal bow and with conditions still likely to be very much in his favour despite several days respite from the persistent rain, Ed Bethell’s inmate is fancied to continue his progression. 

Placed in four of his five starts at two, the son of Sea The Moon was gelded during the winter in the hope that procedure might help his cause in the long term and based on the evidence at the Yorkshire venue, his previous tendencies to take a keen grip seemed to have been quashed. 

Racing kindly in hand for the first portion of the race 16 days ago, he loomed up going best two out and from that juncture, he stayed on in determined fashion to record a cosy success. Granted, there could be a case made for Catton Lady, who stayed on well from the rear for third, turning the tables around on her old rival, but Sea The Dream will hopefully find the necessary improvement to uphold the form. 

SECRET TRIX (NAP) (best price 9-4) arrives here in the form of his life and following a career high performance at Haydock – certainly if the data is to be believed – Olly Murphy’s inmate looks in line for a repeat success. 

In cracking nick this time last year and into the summer months, the seven-year-old rattled off a quickfire hat trick and he was only just touched off in his last two starts while the ground was still in his favour. Qualifying for the final of the Challenger Stayers Series at the Merseyside venue with one of those placed efforts at Aintree, the soft ground 26 days ago was a major concern but despite those circumstances out of his control, he still managed to run to an incredibly high standard. 

In a race run at an unrelenting gallop form the start, he noted travelling well a long way from home and although it took him the entirety of the long straight to finally wear down Doughmore Boy, he did so in the end with a bit more up his sleeve than the bare result indicated. 

Moreover, the overall speed figure and final lap splits were the best on the hurdles track that day, including those posted by useful two-miler Brentford Hope, and with no other horse in today’s field able to boast credentials of that magnitude, it would come as a major shock if he wasn’t involved. 

OSLO (best price 8-1) caught the eye with the way he finished off his race at Kempton on the all-weather last time out and in the hope that run has put a nice edge to his game on his return to the National Hunt scene, Fergal O’Brien’s gelding is taken to make a mockery of his morning odds. 

Returning to action following a 126-day break in a competitive handicap environment, the seven-year-old was set a stiff task being held up at the back of the field but to his great credit he might have pulled off an unlikely victory if he’d received anything like a clear run down the home straight. Forced to check several times when eying up a gap, the son of Gleneagles had to settle for a role just outside the money, but it was a performance that gave out the sort of signals he’s ready to strike over the coming months. 

A dead duck on anything other than good ground, connections must be patient and wait for conditions to come right before letting him off the leash and with everything perfectly in place for him to run to maximum capacity, he deserves to be played accordingly.