Horse Racing Tips on Thursday, April 14
There are five meetings spread across Britain on Thursday, April 14th with the action coming from Ripon, Newmarket, Cheltenham, Bath and Exeter. Our expert tipster has produced their best bets across the cards, which make up our advised Thursday Lucky 15.
Burrows Diamond (2.05 Cheltenham)
At the time of writing, the British EBF Mares’ Novices’ Handicap Chase Final is 3/1 the field, but those at the head of the market have questions to answer, with Fontaine Collonges and Little River Bay both uncertain to be suited by this quick surface.
One that won’t have an issue is the selection, BURROWS DIAMOND, who has shown her best form on good ground, posting a joint career-high RPR when runner-up at Haydock last month.
Burrows Diamond has gone up a pound for that, but she looks likely to benefit from racing back against her own sex (both chase wins to date have come in mares only company), and she remains open to improvement over this intermediary distance.
Trainer Sue Smith has already sent out a couple of winners this month, and spring could be the time to catch Burrows Diamond, with the mare a winner at Sedgefield a little over 12 months ago.
Thursday Lucky 15 Tips. Burrows Diamond can score at Cheltenham for Sue Smith and jockey Ryan Mania.
Litterale Ci (2.40 Cheltenham)
Harry Fry makes the journey up to Cheltenham with a pair of runners on Thursday, the most interesting of those being LITTERALE CI in the Catesby Estates PLC Mares’ Handicap Hurdle.
The JP McManus owned mare is now two years without a win, but she has shown some smart form in the interim which includes a close third at last year’s Galway Festival.
Whilst that meeting is once again likely to be on the agenda this summer, Litterale Ci looked quite a big eyecatcher at Ludlow just over a fortnight ago when runner-up to the useful Gran Luna.
Litterale Ci travelled best throughout that race before the lack of a recent run seemed to take its toll, and if that’s managed to blow away any cobwebs Litterale Ci could prove tough to beat here under regular pilot Aine O’Connor.
Carolus Magnus (3.00 Newmarket)
Andrew Balding’s CAROLUS MAGNUS brought his record on the Rowley Mile to a perfect 2-2 when going in on his final start last season, and with this possibly being set up to suit him, he can maintain unbeaten at Newmarket with victory in Thursday’s Pat Smullen Memorial Handicap.
This Holy Roman Emperor gelding had some eye-catching form to his name in novice/maiden company last year, which includes a neck defeat (albeit receiving 9lb) to the subsequent Group 3 winner Just Beautiful.
This prominent racer slipped the field when scoring over course and distance in September, knuckling down well for pressure to score by 2l. That wouldn’t have been the strongest handicap run here at Newmarket, but with the majority of Thursday’s opposition often preferring to be held up there’s every chance that Carolus Magnus will be allowed to dictate, and if the addition of a first-time hood brings about even minimal improvement he should go well off a mark of 90.
Thursday Lucky 15 Tips. Carolus Magnus made most to score over the Rowley Mile in September and he can repeat the trick on reappearance.
Look Out Louis (4.45 Newmarket)
The Price Promise At bet365 Handicap concludes this year’s Craven Meeting and Twilight Calls looks set to go off the favourite for trainer Henry Candy. His style of racing often sees him somewhat of a hostage to fortune, however, and he reappears now gelded but still 7lb above his last winning mark.
At the prices, therefore, he looks worth taking on here, with LOOK OUT LOUIS most interesting for northern-based trainer Julie Camacho.
This 6yo has done well since joining connections, notching his fourth success for the yard when going in at Newcastle on penultimate outing. Sent off the even-money favourite back at that venue last time, but with cheekpieces removed, Look Out Louis just appeared to go off a little too hard on the front end and subsequently had little left in reserve on the climb for the line.
That brought Look Out Louis’s form figures for the Camacho yard to an impressive 71213123213, the cheekpieces aboard for his last four wins now go back on, and Jason Hart (form figures of 12123 when riding) returns to the saddle, so there’s plenty in the gelding’s favour here for him to be put up as an advised bet.