Horse Racing Tips: Best Betting Tips for Thursday

Today's Horse Racing Tips

• 13:50 York – Korker – 2pts @ 8/1 with Coral
• 14:25 York – Stay Alert – 1pt @ 7/1 with bet365
• 15:00 York – Croupier – 1pt @ 12/1 with BetVictor
• 15:35 York – White Birch – 1pt @ 10/1 with 888sport

For today's horse racing tips, our analyst James Boyle looks at the flat racing meeting at York, with four selections now online.

As always, you’ll find the most up-to-date odds at the best horse racing betting sites, but don’t sleep on our tipster’s predictions as those odds could soon be gobbled up by the betting public. Odds stated are correct at the time of publishing.

13:50 York – Korker – 2pts @ 8/1

I had a good punt on Korker for this season’s return when he lined up in the Palace House and that proved to be a major waste of money as he didn’t seem to be fully tuned up. Running in a Group 3 without his fitness where it needed to be was always likely to prove problematic, especially on a softer surface at a track where he lacked experience, and it was one of those “why did I bother?” bets.

We will get a clearer idea of where he’s at now as he returns to the scene of his greatest performance when he ran away with the 3-year-old C&D handicap at this meeting last term. That also came on the back of a below-par effort in which he didn’t seem fit so hopefully history will repeat itself. The way he travelled marked him down as a potentially very smart horse and he hasn’t maxed out just yet.

Some of his subsequent runs were solid and he could have been a Royal Ascot winner had he not blown the start. That is something he’s prone to doing but he wasn’t bad at Newmarket and maybe Karl Burke has figured out his stalls issues during his time off the track. Starting slowly would ruin his chance at this course especially, with early rhythm all important, and he’ll need to be alert once again.

Getting onto a faster surface will help him and the pace should be reasonable, with Bedford Flyer, Copper Knight and Mountain Peak all capable of going at a good clip. The draw towards the middle of the pack will yield cover and if he behaves pre-race, and jumps out the way he needs to, I can’t see how he won’t be involved from a mark of 100. He’s very talented with more to come at some point.

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14:25 York – Stay Alert – 1pt @ 7/1

Stay Alert could offer a value alternative to the favourite and I think she’ll go well. She wasn’t seen as a juvenile but had a good 3-year-old campaign, running seven times and winning a novice, a Listed contest and a Group 3. Higher levels than that have proved beyond her so far but she had excuses on both occasions, too keen on the first and then was unsuited by the ground on her final start at Ascot.

That was a Group 1 (which I backed her for!) and she may have also had enough for the year in any regard. To beat the likes of Free Wind off level weights, improvement is required but this should be the season when we see her very best and I wouldn’t be surprised if she winds up winning at the top level sometime, perhaps abroad. Dropping to an extended 1m 2f can bring out more from her too.

15:00 York – Croupier – 1pt @ 12/1

Croupier showed plenty of ability as a juvenile, particularly when he bolted up on nursery debut at Newbury, but missed almost a year and only returned to action last August. He needed the spin first time out in a very slowly run race and duly stepped forward to score at Windsor despite plenty going wrong (missed the break, made his effort far too early), a run that showed he was better than ever.

At Haydock next time he had zero luck in-running, much better than the form suggests, and then he bolted up at Chelmsford on his first All-Weather start. That came off 89 against some talented rivals, represented another rock-solid timefigure and if he’s in that form again, he’s going to be a player in this. He certainly has the cruising speed required and a truly run mile is right up his street to boot.

The issue is his current well-being as he returned in the Lincoln at Doncaster and from being near the front 3f out, less than a furlong later he was out the back and a spent force. The ground was horrible there, however, and he was not happy on it. This surface will be far more to his liking, the draw is good and I’m hopeful that we’ll see his true worth. William Buick is an eye-catching jockey booking also.

15:35 York – White Birch – 1pt @ 10/1

White Birch was evidently underrated going into the Ballysax, sent off as the 22/1 outsider of six runners. Despite that, he travelled around well in rear, made his ground up in good style and then battled on to defeat Up And Under by a half-length. That rival has since gone on to run another second to Sprewell, who could end up being a major Epsom Derby contender if he’s able to stay the trip.

It’s hard to know how White Birch will cope with a quicker surface as all he has tackled so far is heavy twice and the All-Weather at Dundalk, but I can’t see any reason why he won’t cope with it being fast. He may even improve for it and given that he brings one of the best pieces of form to the table, it’s hard to see why he’s a double-figured price. There’s more to come and he’s already very smart.

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