Thursday’s Racing Tips – Taxus Baccata is on a good handicap mark to take advantage of on stable debut

Backing the pair of Micky Hammond runners wasn't the best of ideas.

Carrigeen Rock was a huge drifter, going off at 14/1. In fairness, the horse would have gone close if he hadn't walked through the fence two from home.

Stellarmasterpiece was slightly backed in for her race. She was on and off the bridle approaching the final bend, and looked to be in with a chance, but didn't stay on. She missed the places by the tiniest of margins.

Wor Lad 6/1 (1pt) – Wetherby 1.55

In Wor Lad's most recent race, I was debating tipping him up, but decided to leave him alone. I felt like it was a weak enough race for him to win on his handicap debut.

He finished third at Carlisle and ran a solid enough race, but the time off the track didn't help him, as he became tired up the run-in.

With the recent run under his belt and having Sean Bowen in the saddle, today might be the day he gets his head in front.

Prior to his handicap debut, he had shown very little in his races in novice and maiden company, so seeing him run well for a long way was encouraging, and he looks capable of winning off a mark of 78.

Sean Bowen is always going to be a jockey in demand. He is the Champion Jockey and is the best in this country by a long distance. Whenever a smaller yard manages to get him on one of their horses, it automatically suggests a big run is on the cards.

As a result, I can envisage Wor Lad being much shorter in the market. Despite that, I still believe he is worth a bet in another poor-looking race.

Taxus Baccata 7/2 (1pt) – Wetherby 2.30

She Is For Me Boys was a tip last time out. She put in a very poor round of jumping, but can probably be forgiven as it was at Cheltenham, but I am siding with Taxus Baccata.

Robbie Llewellyn is having his first runner at Wetherby, and he is slowly becoming one of the more shrewd trainers in the jumps scene.

The trainer does well with the ammunition he has and has shown on multiple occasions that he can get improvement out of horses he acquires from other yards.

Taxus Baccata is already a winner over fences from her previous trainer, which came off a mark of 100, 3lbs lower than today's rating. She has run well off 107, but has since fallen out of form.

This horse has had a wind-op since we last saw her, and if Robbie can work his magic like I know he can, I thought she looked like a solid alternative to the favourite.

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