Thursday Racing Tips: Beach to cut through Newcastle field

The weather is still causing havoc with the racing calendar as more meetings continue to be abandoned due to waterlogging. We could be in for a dry few days which provides reassurance for the seven meetings scheduled on Thursday.

First off is Warwick, which is followed by Bellewstown, Southwell, Salisbury and Clonmel, before Newcastle and Chelmsford provide the later action. We have three strong fancies across the evening and they include a thoroughly unexposed Harry Charlton-trained handicapper who looks well set to progress.

Horse Racing Odds

Today's Horse Races

5.05 Newcastle - Machete Beach @ 2/1

There’s only one three-year-old in the field here and Harry Charlton’s runner MACHETE BEACH could be the one to side with. This thoroughly unexposed sort has had just three runs to date and only one of those has come in handicaps.

He managed to win his first two starts by narrow margins and those successes left the impression that he was saving a bit for himself. With that in mind, there could be loads more in the tank still and his second off this mark on handicap debut suggests this rating isn’t beyond him.

Wiltshire-based trainer Charlton has only sent nine runners up to Newcastle so far this season and four of those have emerged victorious. This is certainly a positive omen and a strike-rate of 44 per cent isn’t to be sniffed at.

It appears to only be a matter of time until he gets his head in front in handicap company and the son of Territories is well set to go close here.

6.00 Chelmsford - Kaiya @ 12/1

Richard Hannon-trained nursery debutants are often ones to watch and KAIYA certainly appears to fit that trend. Handicaps could be the making of her and it’s hard to argue with an opening mark of 69.

The three-time-raced filly has shown signs of improvement with each run and she was less than three lengths behind the winner when sixth in a fair maiden at Newbury last time out.

Nothing went right for her on the day either as she got off to a slow start and was denied a clear run two furlongs out. She also looked pretty green so that would have been a good learning experience for her.

Once the penny drops, she should be more than capable of winning races and her pedigree indicates that the return to 7f will facilitate some improvement. One would imagine that the best is yet to come and we’ll soon start to see what she’s made of.

8.00 Chelmsford - Qatar Wave @ 22/1

There’s lots to like about this race and it’s shaping up to be a competitive affair, especially as there are two last time out winners in the field.

We’ve gone for QATAR WAVE however and the Hilal Kobeissi-trained handicap debutante sneaks in near the bottom of the weights.

Three of her four starts thus far have been pretty uninspiring, including in a 7f maiden here on debut back in April. It’s her solid third at Nottingham in August which draws the eye though and progress is expected upon switching to handicaps.

Beaten less than three lengths when finishing third that day, the winner is unbeaten in two starts and that suggests there’s some substance to the form.

Connections should be happy with a handicap mark of 63 and it’ll be a surprise if she can’t build from here.

The daughter of Churchill should be competitive over 1m2f as her sire was runner-up in the Juddmonte International and plenty of his progeny are middle-distance performers.

Horse Racing Tips from Betfred Insights.