Thursday Racing Tips: Malaita can land Mares’ final at Cheltenham

There's lots of racing to look forward to in the UK & Ireland on Thursday, including the final day of the Craven Meeting at Newmarket, but our interests come from the cards at Cheltenham and Ripon.

We have three Thursday racing tips to share - including one in the feature at jump racing's HQ.

15:15 Cheltenham - Malaita @ 2/1

The Grade 2 British EBF Mares' Novices' Limited Handicap Chase Final is amongst the attractions at Cheltenham on Thursday afternoon and it can go the way of MALAITA for trainer Mel Rowley.

The mare was a dual winner over hurdles last season, scoring at Carlisle in February and then here at this meeting over 2m4½f on good ground off a mark of 107, making every yard of the running and holding on in game fashion up the Cheltenham hill.

She went chasing this season and ran some good races in defeat, including when close fourth behind the smart Marsh Wren – placed at The Festival here last month for Stuart Edmunds – and arrives into this off the back of a breakthrough success over the larger obstacles at Ludlow (2m4f, soft) in March.

She was held up in that race, swaying from the normal tactics of racing in front-rank, and came through to score in really decisive style. She is 6lb higher now but returning to this meeting was likely a long-term aim and a big run is expected with Charlie Deutsch returning in the plate.

16:25 Cheltenham - Je T'ai Porte @ 5/1

Gavin Cromwell's UK raiders this season have tended to command plenty of respect and handicap debutante JE T'AI PORTE is another that fits the bill for this NAF Mares' Handicap Chase.

The Footstepsinthesand mare was a two-time winner on the Flat before turning attention to this code.

She added a hurdles win at Clonmel last May over this sort of trip on soft ground and kept going over the summer in both codes without adding to her tally.

After a couple of spins over fences/hurdles to start 2024 she caught the eye finishing third behind a pair of Willie Mullins inmates in a beginners' chase at Leopardstown last month.

She didn't quite match that at Thurles since, though very testing ground there was a possible negative, and an opening mark of 123 here, with Johnny Burke taking over in the saddle, makes her an appealing prospect on this quicker surface with plenty of scope for better.

17:25 Ripon - Clansman @ 4/7

CLANSMAN proved he's still game for success by winning a Thirsk handicap (1m4f, heavy) in wide-margin fashion last week for trainer Liam Bailey.

The Nathaniel gelding had indicated his well-being with a near miss at Chelmsford in his comeback last month and duly produced a personal-best to notch his fifth career win on turf.

They have all come on soft/heavy going and, if he's in the same mood now, the 5lb penalty he incurred may not prevent Billy Garrity's partner from obliging again.