Horse racing tips: James Boyle's best bets for Thursday

Horse racing tips today:

• 16:05 Chelmsford – Northcliff – 1pt @ 4/1 with Betfred
• 19:00 Newcastle – Thaki – 1pt @ 11/4 with William Hill
• 19:30 Newcastle – Alexander James – 1pt @ 11/2 with Bet365

For today's horse racing tips, our analyst James Boyle looks at the flat racing meetings at Chelmsford and Newcastle with three selections online.

As always, you’ll find up-to-date odds at the bookmakers, but our tipster’s predictions are researched early in the day and those prices could soon be moved in by the betting public. 

Odds stated are correct at the time of publishing, but check out today's racecards for all the latest movements. 

16:05 Chelmsford – Northcliff – 1pt @ 4/1

Northcliff remains a maiden but has finished second or third on eight occasions and isn’t failing to win due to a lack of effort. He’ll eventually find a race fall his way and now that he’s down to another career-low mark, it could well be this one at a venue that should suit him.

He arrives on the back of a couple of months off the track having raced 16 times in 2023 and that’ll do no harm, whilst he has only raced on a few occasions for his current yard. All of those were good efforts, including last time over 7f, and I think he’ll be happier back over a sprint distance.

19:00 Newcastle – Thaki – 1pt @ 11/4

Thaki was strongly supported to win before the off at Wolverhampton a couple of weeks ago but ended up being too far back in a contest where the winner made all. He still finished strongly to grab second on the line and confirmed that he was back in good form.

His mark being left alone means he’s rated on or below each of his last four successes and two of those were over C&D. He’ll prefer this stiffer test, over which he’ll have more time to catch the pace, and he could be the one to beat at these weights if he brings his best level to the table again.

19:30 Newcastle – Alexander James – 1pt @ 11/2

Alexander James has found a better level since a tongue-tie was reapplied to his regular cheekpieces and stepping up to the mile may help to get his head back in-front. He couldn’t get going in time on two of his last three outings over 7f here but showed enough to remain of interest.

Stamina definitely isn’t a problem given he has won over as far as an extended 1m 1f, whilst one of his three C&D attempts yielded a win off 85. He’s over a stone below that mark these days and if the breaks come when they’re needed, it should be tough to keep him out of the frame.

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