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

Horse racing tips today:

• 15:00 Newmarket – Sweet Harmony – 1pt @ 11/1 with Bet365
• 16:45 Newmarket – Crystal Delight – 1pt @ 18/1 with Boylesports
• 17:18 Newmarket – Perfect Thunder – 1pt @ 14/1 with William Hill

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

As always, you’ll find up-to-date odds at these horse racing betting sites, but don’t sleep on our tipster’s predictions as 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. 

15:00 Newmarket – Sweet Harmony – 1pt @ 11/1

Sweet Harmony isn’t the most straight-forward filly but she has been hunting black type more often than not and is a handicapper rather than a stakes performer. She will be happier back at this level and is rated just 82 now, having come down from a peak of 96 early in her career.

The run of major interest came two starts ago when sixth to Frankness at Salisbury, only beaten a few lengths. There’s a 6lb swing at the weights between the pair and I thought Sweet Harmony did well to finish as close as that having been very keen in a first-time visor.

Her rider also dropped his whip, which didn’t help, and if Hollie Doyle can get her to settle better, she’s a player on that form. The last run at Ayr came at a level she can’t compete at but she settled in the headgear and if she finds a similar rhythm today, double-figured quotes are big.

16:45 Newmarket – Crystal Delight – 1pt @ 18/1

Crystal Delight looked like he had the scope to develop into a higher level handicapper earlier this term and it hasn’t worked out for him. Since finishing second over C&D in May, his best attempt in five outings came on the All-Weather and he has started being slow to stride from the gates.

It’s entirely possible that he doesn’t have the mentality to go through the pain barrier and has figured out how to do the bare minimum, but the handicapper is relenting and having gone up to 90 after his second here, he’s back down 5lbs to 85. That makes him interesting at the prices.

The ground at Doncaster on his most recent start was easy enough for him and as long as there isn’t an excess of rain, he’ll be happier today. I’m also hoping he’ll be ridden further forward in the field as holding him up seems to be of no benefit. He’s a risky play but is too readily overlooked.

17:18 Newmarket – Perfect Thunder – 1pt @ 14/1

Perfect Thunder returns from a short break and drops back to a mile, both of which could help. Her sole win came first time up last season after 154 days off and she went within a neck of success at Fairyhouse last September when running on the back of a 10 week break.

Since joining up with Patrick Owens, she has raced three times and shaped better than the bare form first time up in a valuable fillies handicap at Ascot. After that, she stepped up to 1m 2f and performed well at Beverley before finding the trip, track and ground combination too demanding next time.

Reverting to a mile on better ground can play to her strengths more and she’s now 7lbs lower than this season’s comeback run. First-time cheekpieces will hopefully prove to be a positive addition and Benoit De La Sayette is a good booking. They look overpriced to win this at 14/1.

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