Huntingdon Racecourse: preview and tips for Thursday’s seven-race card
Huntingdon Racecourse hosts a competitive seven-race card on Thursday afternoon for punters heading to the track.
The card gets underway at 1.06pm with a two-mile novices’ handicap chase in class four before coming to a closer at 4.36pm with another class four contest, this time a handicap chase.
Read below for a full rundown of the Huntingdon card courtesy of Racing TV, who offer the very latest free bets for Cheltenham.
A small field of three runners will take on the opener (1.06) which is a class four handicap chase over the two-mile trip. Secret Des Dieux is dropping back in trip here off a very strong sixth in a handicap contest on Cheltenham Trials Day so he should be far too strong for the opposition here and pick up the win for trainer James Owen.
A much bigger field of 12 will head to post for the mile and three quarters maiden hurdle to mark race two on the card (1.41) at Huntingdon. Preference here heads the way of Idaho Valley for the Donald McCain team, who has been consistent over hurdles but this could be his breakthrough win as he is another dropping down in trip. Next best is Lejo Du Seuil for the ian Williams team, a €70,000 recruit from the French ranks after a second on debut there at Fontainebleau and a well-held fifth on British bow at Ludlow.
A handicap chase in class five is up next (2.16) and Carpe Diem looks the way to go in this one, a winner of a course and distance handicap just a fortnight back and should be capable of following up despite being hiked 10lb in the weights by the handicapper for that success.
Kom Tu Voudras is the pick in race four (2.51) for trainer Faye Bramley and the eye-catching jockey booking of Harry Cobden. The six-year-old didn’t make the grade for the high-profile Willie Mullins yard and has since moved on across this side of the Irish Sea and this looks a very good opportunity for her to live up to the billing of a french bumper third on debut before being picked up by Team Mullins.
A good field of 11 will take on the one mile and seven furlong handicap hurdle in class five at 3.26, where Postponed Legacy gets the nod in this one, a winner of two-mile handicaps at Doncaster and Uttoxeter before a runner-up at Wincanton last time out having been hit with a 10lb weight rise. For Old Times Sake rates the main danger, who has made steady progress and is now pitched into handicaps for the first time.
The penultimate race of the afternoon (4.01) is an eight-runner handicap hurdle which can go the way of Natus Vincere for retainer Olly Murphy, picked up by his new yard after struggled on debut but was well-backed that day and runs off an unchanged mark here, while the finale of the afternoon (4.36) sees Thruthelookinglass get the nod, second of eight last time out in a handicap chase at Lingfield which is one of the better form lines on show.
Huntingdon selections - Thursday
1.06 - Secret Des Dieux
1.41 - Idaho Valley
2.16 - Carpe Diem
2.51 - Kom Tu Voudras
3.26 - Postponed Legacy
4.01 - Natus Vincere
4.36 - Thruthelookinglass