Thursday Horse Racing Tips from Andy Holding

The ratings would have you believe TIME FOR SANDELS (best price 10-1) has no right to be in this sort of company, let alone win it, but she may well have been seriously underestimated by the assessor and she deserves to be played accordingly to back up that view. 

Quite impressive when winning cosily on debut at Kempton back in June, Harry Eustace’s filly was targeted at the Super Sprint at Newbury a month later and even though she just fell short of taking home the big bucks, she left the impression she was by some way the best horse on the day. 

Drawn 1 of the 19 strong field, Richard Kingscote took the immediate decision to take her back to the rear of the field but as a result, she forfeited a huge amount of ground, and it was a deficit that ultimately, she couldn’t quite overcome. That said, from running the slowest first furlong of 16.22, she then fired in the quickest sectionals for the remainder of the race (43.9 compared to Caburn’s 45.6) and considering the winner was handed a rating of 94 in the aftermath, it’s easy to draw to the conclusion the daughter of Sands Of Mali deserves to be marked up better than her current perch of 86. 

Having stayed 6f well on a slow surface that often takes some getting, today’s step back up in trip should suit and having be blessed with a good middle draw that will help her gain some nice early cover, there’s every reason to be hopeful of her bursting through towards the business end and proving the joker in the pack. 

A tricky one to solve at first glance but it’s a race that often goes to one with previous course form, and NEW IMAGE (best price 13-2) looks to have as good a chance as most to keep that trend going. 

Although he’s only run on the Knavesmire once, he showed enough that day to suggest he was fully at home with the nuances of the track, and he might have won had he not met interference at a crucial stage. Since then, the form of the race in question has worked out well with the winner, fifth and seventh all going on to land big handicaps and he also added to that list himself with a hard-fought victory at Ascot on Shergar Cup Day. 

Needing every inch of the mile at the Berkshire venue, he ended up posting a career high speed figure and with a profile to suggest he is more likely to run his race than not, he looks a haven for each-way thieves – especially with several firms offering six places.  

The defection of short-priced favourite Sea Just In Time puts an entirely different spin on this listed fillies’ affair, but the most logical solution appears to be to side with KARMOLOGY (best price 9-2). 

The key to daughter of Golden Horn’s claims is her proven course form and with the latest of her two efforts on the Knavesmire coming courtesy of a big speed figure, there’s a decent chance she could turn out to be a good bit better than her current rating of 93.

Moreover, both her pedigree and way she keeps on galloping point towards her staying today’s extra trip well and having also proven herself with a bit of ease underfoot, any forecast rain will affect her less than most too. 

A race dominated by three-year-olds in recent times and KEY TO COTAI (best price 8-1) arguably has the strongest claims to keep that trend intact. 

Her latest effort at Haydock proved to be a proper botched job as Paul Mulrennan not only lost his whip early, but he also got his mount into a pocket she could only extricate when the race was all but over. 

Still, it least it was a performance to suggest she remains in fine shape and her previous effort behind the 108 rated Jabaara in listed company makes her a tempting proposition off 95. To add extra spice to the mix, she also fared best of those drawn high (16 of 16) in the valuable sales race at this meeting last year and with seemingly all ground conditions coming alike, it would be a surprise if she wasn’t in the shake up. 

ENCHANTED GARDEN (NAP best price 10-3) won in the style of a big improver here last time out and this looks a decent opportunity for Anthony Mullins’ filly to complete her hat trick. 

A surprise winner on her final start last season on handicap debut at Dundalk, she reverted to turf when facing a big field over tonight’s C&D and having travelled strongly throughout, she exhibited a useful turn of foot to sweep by her rivals over a furlong out and go clear in the run to the line. 

A nice scopey filly with the potential of more to come, even her new assessment looks south of her capabilities and in a race that doesn’t appear to contain anything of any great note, she deserves to be played accordingly.