Lucky 15 Tips: Bucksy Des Epeires heads Thursday’s four

A busy Thursday awaits for racing fans with five meetings taking place across the UK and Ireland. Jumps action comes from Newcastle, Leicester, Sandown and Clonmel, while the sole evening offering is on the all-weather from Chelmsford.

We have picked out some Lucky 15 tips from across the cards on Thursday.

13:55 Sandown - Issam @ 6/4

Mount Tempest scored nicely over course and distance in December for Dan and Harry Skelton and the forecast market leader has claims again but he's much more exposed than Exeter winner ISSAM.

He has a real affinity for that Devon layout and jumped well on his chasing bow. Despite a contested lead in the race, he found plenty under pressure and showed a willing attitude to see off the challenge of Pic Roc late on.

That form is solid, the runner-up having been second in a decent Newbury race over further at the weekend and the fourth scoring since at Ffos Las.

Issam has hurdles form at this shorter trip and Tom Symonds has enlisted 5lb claimer Callum Pritchard to offset his rise in the ratings.

14:40 Leicester - Bucksy Des Epeires @ 5/4

Venetia Williams has her team in excellent shape, with a 21 per-cent striker-rate from 33 runners of late, and BUCKSY DES EPEIRES could be another for her and Charlie Deutsch at Leicester in the MHA Baker Tilly Novices' Limited Handicap Chase over 2m.

He made a winning seasonal/chase debut at Ascot (2m3f, good) in November when readily beating useful sorts Rare Edition and Riskintheground.

He then finished clear second behind The Kalooki Kid at Doncaster over a similar trip in December, form that reads well after that rival defied a 7lb hike to win the Scottish Champion Chase at Musselburgh this month.

This six-year-old races here from an unchanged mark and should take some halting despite a drop in trip.

15:25 Newcastle - My Friend Yeats @ 11/2

Rebecca Menzies has watched MY FRIEND YEATS twice go close at Catterick over 2m3½f recently and a first hurdles success could be looming.

Nathan Moscrop's partner came through with a strong late challenge in December at the Yorkshire layout and only narrowly failed to get up.

He was back over the same C&D last month and again sought to play his cards late, only to get hampered at the second last. Two next-time-out winners finished behind him and this could be his turn up a furlong and granted a clear passage late on.

18:30 Chelmsford - Lessay @ 7/2

Six furlongs is the trip ahead of the eight runners in this Class 4 event at Chelmsford, with last-time-out winner Rebel Empire amongst the leading contenders alongside in-form Above.

LESSAY is a viable alternative for Ed Dunlop, as the son of Churchill tackles this trip for the first time.

He's not been with this trainer long after leaving Andrew Balding and has run well in all three starts. He's on a nice mark off 76 and it will be interesting to see if he can handle this sprint trip.

Odds are likely to fluctuate between time of publication and the off, but a 50p win Lucky 15 on today's selections at the quoted prices, assuming all four won, would return around £XX for a total £7.50 stake.

Horse Racing & Greyhound bets only. Excludes Virtual Racing. 5x odds on Lucky 63. 4x Odds Lucky 31. 3x Odds Lucky 15. All selections must run. Paid in cash if only 1 winner. T&Cs Apply.

Click the link for all the latest Horse Racing Odds

Find more Lucky 15 Tips here at Betfred Insights