Horse Racing Tips on Thursday, July 28
There are six meetings spread across Britain and Ireland on Thursday July 28th, with the action coming from Epsom, Goodwood, Nottingham, Salisbury, Stratford and Galway. Our expert editor has produced their top tips across the cards, which make up our advised Thursday Lucky 15.
Punxsutawney Phil (1:57 Stratford) 5/1
Trainer Brian Ellison has his string in tremendous form currently, sending out six winners in the last couple of weeks and operating at a very healthy 35% strike rate. The North Yorkshire handler is a rare visitor to Stratford on Thursday and sends just one runner down on the 340-mile round trip in the shape of PUNXSUTAWNEY PHIL.
A comfortable winner of a Sedgefield maiden hurdle back in October, the five-year-old has been unable to follow up that victory in his last four starts but has run well in defeat, including when finishing fourth and fifth in a pair of competitive handicaps at Cheltenham towards the end of last year.
Well supported at Perth following 148 days off the track, Brian Ellison’s charge failed to land a blow back down at two miles but did manage to finish nicely clear of a subsequent winner that day despite coming home in fourth on that occasion.
Switching to the larger obstacles on Thursday afternoon, it will be interesting to see if Punxsutawney Phil attracts significant market support once more on his chasing debut and it would be no surprise to see the five-year-old go close given the current form of the yard.
Plunkett (3:20 Galway) 6/1
The Galway Festival continues on Thursday afternoon and PLUNKETT appears to be one of the standout bets across the eight-race card.
Paul Flynn’s five-year-old has certainly returned to form this season and has failed to be outside the top three places on his four outings this term. After being campaigned at a variety of trips last season for connections, the Gleneagles gelding belatedly got his head in front at the sixteenth time of asking when comfortably scoring off a mark of 64 in a handicap over a mile at Gowran Park back in April.
Upped 9lb for that runaway victory, the five-year-old looked certain to follow up just ten days later at Limerick under 7lb claimer Ciara Flynn. Travelling comfortably on the front end turning for home, Paul Flynn’s five-year-old looked to have the race in safekeeping, however, Plunkett’s inexperienced rider was unable to hold on as the winning post loomed and was ultimately passed on the run to the line by Dha Leath.
Headed close home at the Curragh on his penultimate start in May, Plunkett returned to winning ways with a stylish performance over seven furlongs at Leopardstown last month off a mark of 77. Making smooth headway on that particular occasion, Paul Flynn’s charge soon put daylight between himself and his rivals entering the final furlong and ultimately ran out a comfortable two and a half-length winner at the line.
Rated 85, there could be plenty more to come from Plunkett despite his career-high mark and with several of his rivals arriving here out of form, Paul Flynn’s charge looks the one to side with once more.
Marbuzet (3:50 Nottingham) 8/1
Although he is currently priced up as one of the outsiders in this eight-runner handicap, it could pay to take a chance on MARBUZET who had excuses when finishing down the field at Ripon last time out and had previously looked capable of further progress over staying trips this season.
Despite failing to show little encouragement in his opening three starts as a juvenile last season, the gelded son of Farhh ran his best race to date at Nottingham when catching the eye with the way he finished his race over the extended mile last October.
Stepped up in trip this season, Marbuzet lost little in defeat when chasing home the well handicapped Appier over twelve furlongs at Beverley and Ripon and soon managed to get off the mark on his penultimate start at Thirsk over 1m6f – needing every yard of the trip to defeat the much higher rated Grimsby Town by a head.
Sent off the even-money favourite off the back of his breakthrough victory at Ripon earlier this month, Tim Easterby’s charge never looked comfortable in the lead and certainly didn’t appreciate the drop back to twelve furlongs.
Racing over two miles for the first time on Thursday afternoon, it would be no surprise to see Marbuzet return to form off his lowly mark of 52 and the five-year-old looks seriously overpriced if returning to his Thirsk form from a couple of starts ago.
Heerathetrack (8.30 Epsom) 10/1
There are a few to consider in Epsom’s concluding handicap contest on Thursday evening but it may pay to take a chance on HEERATHETRACK, who drops into a 0-65 contest for the very first time and remains unexposed on the turf.
Although winless in his eight starts to date, Mark Usher’s charge has displayed plenty of ability in his three outings in handicaps this term. Beaten two lengths at Wolverhampton on his seasonal return in May, the Heeraat gelding was far from disgraced when finishing behind a pair of subsequent winners on his first start on the grass when finishing fifth at Goodwood last month.
Switched back to the all-weather last time out, the three-year-old was unable to go with the progressive market leader Stockpyle inside the closing stages but still ran an encouraging race nonetheless after setting the early fractions to finish fourth. Dropping in class on Thursday evening, it will be disappointing if Heerathetrack fails to make an impact off a mark of 65 and the three-year-old is well worth supporting at generous odds.