Steve Ryder has picked out six betting tips for Thursday's Horse Racing action.
3:50 Yarmouth
Tip 1: Alice De Clare - 1pt
Best odds of 10/11 at bet365 while publishing.
Both ALICE DE CLARE (best priced at 10/11) and Sports Day showed improved form on their handicap debuts but the form of the latter received a knock when the winner finished well beaten on Monday. On the other hand, Alice De Clare finished a neck 2nd on her handicap debut behind Barbury Boy with the pair pulling 6 ½ lengths clear of the third a week ago.
Alice De Clare has been raised 7lbs by the handicapper as result but gets to run here off the same meaning that she is 7lbs “well in” at the weights and as a result should prove hard to beat.
4:35 Lingfield
Tip 2: Willow Wood - 1pt EW
Best odds of 13/2 at SpreadEx while publishing.
Connections of WILLOW WOOD (best priced at 13/2) spent 200,000gns on her last year so they would be hoping that she proves better than an opening mark of 67. The daughter of Wootton Bassett is a half sister to both Grimsthorpe Castle and Glenartney who both showed their best form at 1m4f so it is no surprise to see her step up in trip to 1m2f on her handicap debut having had three low key runs over a mile last season.
Willow Wood will have no doubt improved for her 155 day break and can hopefully prove too good on her return.
4:50 Punchestown
Tip 3: Petit Tonnerre - 0.5pt EW
Best odds of 12/1 at bet365 while publishing.
The Jonjo & A J O’Neill stable have a good recent record at Punchestown, although PETIT TONNERRE (best priced at 12/1) has been the only winner, they have had a further 2nd place and 2 3rd placed finishers from only 13 runners. The eight-year-old was an impressive 2 ¼ length winner of this race last season off a mark of 127 and he runs in it off only a 1lb higher mark this year.
Richie McLernon, who rode Petit Tonnerre to win this race last season, gets back on board for the first-time since that victory and he has also had the same prep run finishing midfield at Aintree last time. He should run well with five places widely available.
5:07 Lingfield
Tip 4: Super Hit - 1pt
Best odds available of 3/1 at Unibet while publishing.
SUPER HIT (best priced at 3/1) won once and placed a further six times when trained by Darryll Holland so he should prove up to winning a race of this nature having joined the thriving James Owen stable. The five-year-old won last year off a mark of 66 and placed off marks of 69, 63, 65, 65, 63 and 63 so he remains competitively handicapped off this mark of 63.
Super Hit now returns after a 101 day break and looks the one to beat back over the same course and distance as he was beaten ½ length in January.
Midnite
6:05 Punchestown
Tip 5: Teahupoo - 1pt
Best odds of 2/1 available at Unibet/Betfred/bet365 while publishing.
TEAHUPOO (best priced at 2/1) has won this race for the past two seasons and they can complete a hat-trick despite having to bounce back from a slightly disappointing run at the Cheltenham Festival last time. Often regarded as showing better form on slower ground, the nine-year-old has won this race on yielding ground for the past two seasons and also put in a career best performance at Leopardstown at Christmas on good/yielding ground when beating Bob Olinger by seven lengths.
Connections now fit Teahupoo with first-time blinkers which should make the job of Jack Kennedy easier throughout the race and he should prove hard to beat.
8:15 Kempton
Tip 6: Cospicua - 1pt
Best odds of 7/2 at bet365 while publishing.
Saxophonic is interesting on his stable debut for David Simcock but preference instead goes to COSPICUA (best priced at 7/2) who now returns back to a course and distance that she is unbeaten over in two starts. The James Tate trained filly finished well beaten in her three starts over 7f and a mile before defying odds of 25/1 to make a winning handicap debut over 1m4f at this track in January off an opening mark of 50. She was well beaten at Newcastle on her next start but then showed a good attitude to win by a short head back over this course and distance last time off a mark of 53.
Cospicua now runs off a career high mark of 56 but is clearly progressive and can hopefully make it 3/3 over this course and distance.
