Horse Racing Tips: Lightning to bring the Thunder

There are three meetings take place across the UK and Ireland on Sunday afternoon with day two of the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown taking centre stage. That feast is ably supported by the second day of the Scottish Cheltenham Trials meeting at Musselburgh, whilst Lingfield is on hand to provide the flat offering.

A trio of handicap debutants are taken to make their mark this Sunday including one for the Greenall & Guerriero yard who could relish the step up in trip.  Read on for our horse racing tips for Sunday, February 2.

12:40 Leopardstown - Qualimita @ 11/2

A competitive, 20-runner mares’ handicap hurdle to start the day but a 500,000 euros purchase for Gordon Elliot could be the way to go.

Having won her sole point-to-point by 30 lengths she then made her rules debut in a Listed Navan bumper, only beaten five lengths by one who has done well since.

She has returned from a year off with three maiden hurdle runs of varying degrees of performance. Beaten at long odds-on first time up before a two-length defeat at Naas and then - 22 days ago - finishing second again behind a potentially exciting flat recruit of Gavin Cromwell, Sixandahalf.

Makes her handicap debut here off what looks a fair mark and it is worth noting Gordon Elliott has a good record in handicaps at the DRF since its inception, winning seven of them, including this race twice.

This is an Extra Place Race, so Betfred will be paying 5 Places (1/5 Odds) instead of 4.

16:05 Musselburgh - Thunder N Lightnin @ 8/1

Thunder N Lightnin is a lightly-raced seven-year-old who showed promise in two point-to-points in 2022 before joining the Harry Derham yard.

Having shown promise in his first couple of hurdles start in late 2023, improving from first to second start, he was not seen again until November where he made a pleasing return in third behind a promising sort.

He has not been seen since, mainly due to the Derham yard being almost shut down, but now makes his handicap debut off a very workable mark.

There should be improvement in him and stepping up to 3m will help. The Derham yard, who have another couple of decent chances on the card, have shown signs of coming back to form of late and also have a good record at the course.

This is an Extra Place Race, so Betfred will be paying 4 Places (1/5 Odds) instead of 3.

16:34 Musselburgh - My Noble Lord @ 11/4

This four-year-old showed significant improvement on the flat last season, winning four of his five starts, for Michael Bell.

He has been subsequently picked up by JP McManus for 30,000gns and sent to the the Greenall/Guerriero yard where he duly made a winning hurdles debut at Chepstow in October.

He showed plenty of potential that day but has since been found wanting in two subsequent Grade 2 juvenile hurdles.

Today’s step up to 2m4f for his handicap debut should definitely suit and with the aid of sizeable weight-for-age allowance, he can be expected to go close here.

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