Thursday Horse Racing Tips & Predictions from Steve Ryder

The ground is set to be testing at Nottingham today and that should mean WORLD OF DARCY (best priced at 13/8) will hold strong claims of defying a 12lb penalty. The John Ryan trained gelding has been busy for a three-year-old with 21 career starts already but if you isolate his runs on ground soft or slower then his form figures read 35111 with his first two races coming at listed level as a juvenile. 

World Of Darcy has completed a quick-fire hattrick this month with victories at Yarmouth (2 ¼ lengths on soft), Windsor ( 2 ¾ lengths on heavy) and Brighton (1 ½ lengths on soft) all under Laura Pearson and he should prove hard to beat off top weight with conditions to suit once again.  

The Tim Easterby trained TEMPER TRAP (best priced at 2/1) has taken advantage of a lowly handicap mark on his previous two starts and this testing ground should aid his bid for a hat-trick. The seven-year-old was once rated 70 on the flat so it was no surprise for him to win comfortably by 3 ¾ lengths at Leicester on heavy ground off a mark of 51 on his penultimate start. 

Temper Trap followed up under a 5lb penalty ten days later by 3 ¼ lengths on soft ground at Redcar and he runs here from 1lb “well in” at the weights under a 4lb penalty in this race. He faces less exposed rivals in this race but should prove hard to beat with David Allen once again on board.  

Howzak is respected following his run last time but preference instead goes to HAVECHATMA (best priced at 3/1) who won comfortably over this course and distance last time.

The Dean Ivory trained filly has been well suited to this drop back in trip to 5f this season with form figures of 3351 with her only slightly disappointing effort coming on turf on heavy ground. 

Havechatma won by a length over this course and distance last time off a mark of 53 and races here off only 4lbs higher. She steps up slightly in grade but should prove hard to beat with Luke Morris taking over on board. 

The Hugo Palmer trained HOW IMPRESSIVE (best priced at 3/1) was given a canny ride by Oisin Murphy last time at Chelmsford but he should hold strong claims once again under a 5lbs penalty if in the same form a week later. The five-year-old finished 2nd by a head at Chelmsford on his penultimate start off a mark of 74 before winning by three lengths off a mark of 75 last time when kicking clear on the bend. 

The handicapper has raised How Impressive 8lbs for that victory so he runs here 3lbs “well in” at the weights under a 5lb penalty and should prove hard to beat with Joe Leavy negating that penalty with his 5lb claim.