Thursday’s Racing Tips: Haya’s time has come

There are seven cards in Britain and Ireland for punters to enjoy on Thursday. First off is Ffos Las over jumps before they go at Ripon and Lingfield in the afternoon ahead of evening jumps cards at Limerick and Warwick alongside action on the level at Fairyhouse and Carlisle.

Among Thursday's racing tips is one for trainer Andrew Balding, who should go close to getting off the mark.

16:20 Ripon - Rogue Sea @ 11/2

Quite a few course specialists line up in the feature 1m2f handicap at Ripon, although there is a chance ROGUE SEA can blow them all out of the water on his debut for Bryan Smart.

In fairness to Rogue Sea he is one from one at Ripon so is clearly fine on the track, and bagged that victory in a course record time.

This son of Sea The Stars, whose dam was runner-up in the Oaks, clearly handles a bit of dig underfoot too as he ran out a wide-margin novice winner on soft last April at Yarmouth.

While he lost his way somewhat on his final few starts for Tom Clover, he is well handicapped if capturing his 2023 early season spark and it is encouraging that Smart is 1-3 with new recruits.

This is also the first time Smart has enlisted the services of top rider Billy Loughnane and that booking looks a positive.

18:00 Fairyhouse - Naturally Nimble @ 9/4

Joseph O’Brien is wasting no time in sending NATURALLY NIMBLE into handicaps as he contests the 1m2f three-year-old one at Fairyhouse.

Just 12 days on from his close second in a strong-looking maiden at Navan, a race for which he was easy to back having drifted from 10/11 on the opening show to an SP of 6/4, Naturally Nimble can leave an opening rating of 84 well behind him in what appeals as a weaker contest.

The winner of that maiden, Lady Doris, is Group-entered and this unexposed four-year-old put the rest to bed fairly comfortably.

Perhaps O’Brien is trying to get another run into Naturally Nimble before he lines up in a Royal Ascot handicap in a few weeks’ time, and the topweight is taken to shake off inferior opponents.

19:55 Carlisle - Haya @ 5/4

Andrew Balding is an infrequent visitor to Carlisle (1-5 in the past five years) and it looks significant that he is sending well-bred Cheveley Park filly HAYA on the long journey north.

A daughter of sire of the moment Ulysses and out of a dam who progressed as a three-year-old, Haya looks the type to improve throughout the campaign, and if she runs to her BHA rating of 82 she should have enough in reserve to capture this 1m1f novice.

Haya is not the forecast favourite, however, as that status belongs to Galyx. This son of Calyx must give the selection 12lb after he broke his duck at Windsor last time, though, and looks up against it on the figures.

Soft ground shouldn’t be a hindrance to the selection and she can notch a first career triumph.

Find more Horse Racing Tips here at Betfred Insights