Horse racing tips: Thursday picks from Cheltenham and Newmarket

It's a really entertaining afternoon’s racing again with seriously competitive stuff at both Newmarket and Cheltenham. Here are the three that I like. 

This mare looks like she might have been laid out for this event by the best target trainer in the country by far. 

I strongly believe that Dan Skelton might get beaten in the race for the trainers’ championship, but Cottie might go some way to defend home pride here. 

The nine-year-old has had just three runs for her new yard and definitely hasn’t pulled up any trees, but she has finished closer with each run and has been dropped 10lbs in the handicap for her efforts. She has been ridden by claiming jockeys from the yard on all stable outings so far, but (who has rode Cheltenham exceptionally well this season in my view) is on board for the first time.

Given the stakes regarding the trainer’s championship, I expect to see a different Cottie here. 

I am taking a chance on a wind operation having a positive effect on Mill Stream this season and, at likely odds, I feel it is a chance worth taking with Jane Chapple-Hyam’s four-year-old. 

Mill Stream was seriously progressive in the first half of last season and had won a Listed race in France as well as a Group Three at Doncaster by August. He was then upped to Group One level and disappointed, but he had excuses and especially on his final start when he was caught out away from the action in very soft ground. 

While I haven’t seen him in the flesh, he is a magnificent-looking sprinter on the TV pictures and was noted by Timeform as having improved massively physically from two to three years old. He looks very much the type to progress again this season and I definitely have him down as one who could bridge the gap to the top grade this year. 

Chapple-Hyam has her team in good form currently and has entered Mill Stream in the Group Two Duke of York Stakes, so she clearly thinks that all is okay for an attempt at this traditional Group Three test.

Percy’s Lad didn’t win a race last season but largely ran consistently well and might be worth risking at a price here. 

He has slowly eased down to his latest winning mark and the case for him is strengthened by his record when fresh in the past. He is very likely to get on the speed here which is often an advantage at this track and another positive in what is an extremely competitive handicap. 

I am a fan of the yard and Percy’s Lad has a decent draw in stall 6 and seven furlongs is his ideal trip, so I think a good run at each-way odds is likely.