Thursday horse racing tips: Gin Palace can lift the spirits

It is terrific to see Joe Mercer being remembered alongside his most famous partner Brigadier Gerard at Sandown on Thursday evening. Hopefully the big bookies might club together in naming a similar race to give Barney Curley a send-off. I am sure they will miss him!

Heavy ground in May is always worrisome, but hopefully these handicappers might land me a winner.

I am giving up on Sword Beach after finding myself at the bottom of the cliff again this season, but I fully acknowledge a change of headgear might do the trick. However, I am staying with the stable and going with this consistent handicapper who has run very well both times he has tried this course and distance.

Gin Palace is now 3lb lower than when third at Goodwood in soft ground last September and seems to be coming to hand judged by his good effort after a slow start at Ascot last time. Charles Bishop has won twice on him before and knows him well.

This consistent handicapper is proven over trip and ground and might just still have some improvement left in him.

Magna Moralia came back from a four-month break and showed improved form to win a novice hurdle in March, and he seemed to improve last time over this trip and in first-time cheekpieces when not beaten far by the progressive Cochise. He holds the re-opposing Snookered very narrowly on that form, but he looks to have more upside than the Ellison runner.

Crossing The Bar is the lightly-raced Sir Michael Stoute runner in the field who could well improve significantly, but he is going to take out a large chunk of the market which guarantees an each-way price for my selection in a dead eight-runner event.

John Quinn won the Group Two sprint at Haydock over the weekend and his runners could not be in better form, so a good run looks assured.

Two tracks that could not be more different are Lingfield’s turf course and Carlisle, but that is just about the only negative in as this filly attempts to follow up last week’s win under a penalty.

Lucky Draw turned the Lingfield race into a procession last time and, despite the stiff nature of the track, front-runners also do well at Carlisle.

She carries a 5lb penalty here. but she was 3lb out of the handicap last time so in fact she is only 2lbs higher. She cannot be opposed.