Thursday horse racing tips: Dave Nevison's bets for Sandown
Top tipster Dave Nevison has a selection at Catterick on Thursday afternoon plus two bets for the brilliant six-race evening card at Sandown where last year's Derby winner Desert Crown returns to action. Watch all the action live on Racing TV.
Golden Gal is back on a mark 2lb lower than her latest win, which came over this course and distance, and she appears to be running herself back into form gradually this season, so could be poised to strike again in another modest race.
The selection does most of her running at Catterick and has produced the majority of her best performances under Harry Russell.
A middle draw is perfect and Golden Gal should be able to take a good lead from a couple of fast starters drawn on her inside.
Silastar was ridden by Ryan Moore for the first time when winning by 12 lengths at Leicester last time out. The handicapper could have really punished him for that victory, but conditions were desperately heavy, which probably exaggerated his winning distance on that occasion.
I think a 7lb rise was a fair one, and it leaves this six-year-old on a rating I believe he can still win off.
He seems to enjoy a stiff, right-handed track, so Sandown will suit him perfectly. He won on good ground in France, so is versatile ground-wise, and he looks a decent bet to follow up.
Roger Varian unleashed this four-year-old in what usually turns out to be one of the hottest mile handicaps confined to apprentices of the entire season at Ascot.
He finished second, a place in front of Helm Rock, but his effort probably deserves marking up by much more than the pound he has been raised for that outing.
Yaanaas went off favourite for that 0-95 contest and ran really well plus shaped as though he will be better than a handicapper as he gains experience.
A mile seems to suit him perfectly well and Jim Crowley takes over in the saddle on Thursday.
