Horse Racing Tips on Thursday, March 3
The two jumps meetings in Great Britain are the focus of our editor’s 4,231/1 Lucky 15 top tips on Thursday. Check them out below.
Good Impression (1.00 Ludlow)
It took him a couple of starts to get used to jumps racing once again, but GOOD IMPRESSION is now on a roll and can continue that in Ludlow’s opener.
He combined flat and hurdles runs for Ali Stronge earlier in his career before joining the recently retired Dai Burchell in 2019. For two years he solely plied his trade on the flat, only returning to the National Hunt scene in December.
His first two efforts at Leicester and Uttoxeter were below par, but victory at Fakenham has sparked a renaissance. He followed up back at Uttoxeter 12 days later and is up another 7lb.
However, that penalty is not steep, as he won quite cosily last time and looks a horse to keep supporting on his first run for Bernard Llewellyn.
Could Be Trouble (2.30 Ludlow)
Donald McCain’s mare had been a long way from the form that saw her score a hat-trick at Bangor in October until recently.
COULD BE TROUBLE was pulled up on her chase debut at the same Welsh venue thereafter. Her follow up back over hurdles was not much better, trailing in last of ten finishers at Sandown.
However, a two month break, combined with wind surgery, saw her put in a substantially better effort at Ludlow last month. She was third to a progressive winner who won again on her following start. Yet, Could Be Trouble is down 1lb for that run.
This step up in trip is well worth a gamble with her second run since wind surgery another factor seen as a positive.
Head To The Stars (3.00 Ludlow)
It was not always a perfect track for him earlier in his career, but HEAD TO THE STARS has now won three of his last four starts over course and distance.
He was given a very tough assignment in the Classic Chase at Warwick last time out. That was off his second highest ever mark, a serious challenge for an 11-year-old.
In that respect, he remains in the claws of the handicapper, but this is clearly a specialist track and trip for him now. He was given the go-ahead for the Warwick Grade 3 due to success here in December, from which he is only 3lb higher.
This is a smaller and arguably less competitive field than the won he beat just over two months ago and it is well within his range to win again here.
Jet Marshall (5.08 Taunton)
The only runner at Taunton in this Lucky 15 is JET MARSHALL who arrives from point to points for Philip Hobbs.
This looks a deep bumper field and Hobbs has not excelled with bumper runners this season. That said, the yard have hit decent form of late, with six winners in the last fortnight at a strike rate of 21%, surpassing their overall percentage for the season quite comfortably.
Similarly, Jet Marshall was purchased for £50,000, a decent sum for a horse with jumps prospects. Moreover, he will be race fit given his last point run came only 46 days ago. He was second in that sphere twice and may be underestimated compared to a couple of the newcomers ahead of him in the market.