Sporting Life
Get today's Horses In Focus
Get today's Horses In Focus

Horses In Focus tips for Thursday: Eye-catchers chosen by Timeform experts

By Timeform
Horse Racing
Thu July 24, 2025 · 5M ago

Find out which runners on Thursday caught the eye of the Timeform reporters last time and were awarded the Horse In Focus Flag.

What is a Horse In Focus?

Every performance in Britain and Ireland is closely scrutinised by the expert race readers at Timeform whose tasks include identifying horses that shaped better than the result.

Some of these eye-catchers will be awarded the Horse In Focus Flag.A Horse In Focus comes in many forms, from a promising maiden winner to a veteran handicapper, but the common denominator is the same: the way the horse shaped suggests it’s likely to be something to back next time.

All of the day's Horses In Focus can be found within this article, which also includes a best bet selected by a member of the Timeform Sporting Life team.

The Timeform Flags also appear on the Racecards + section, available for Sporting Life Plus members, on Sporting Life racecards.

Thursday's Horses In Focus

For more on each horse, logged-in readers can head to today's racecards and click the Horse In Focus dropdown.

Doncaster

Novello Lad – 16:20

1
10
Novello Lad6(ex 5)
Age: 4|  Weight: 9-10| J: D Nolan| T: P T Midgley| OR:  68| C
7/2

Promise Time – 17:30

10
1
Promise Time39
Age: 3|  Weight: 9-0| J: Alex Jary(5)| T: N Tinkler| OR:  66| CD
3/1

Sandown

Cloud King – 14:10

4
9
Cloud Kingp16
Age: 4|  Weight: 9-10| J: C Lee| T: R M H Cowell| OR:  76| D
15/2

Publish – 14:45

7
1
Publish20
Age: 2|  Weight: 9-7| J: James Doyle| T: J & T Gosden| OR:  -
4/7

Catullus – 14:45

1
4
Catullus13
Age: 2|  Weight: 9-7| J: W Buick| T: C Appleby| OR:  -
9/4

Hayynah – 15:20

2
5
Hayynah10
Age: 2|  Weight: 9-2| J: Oisin Murphy| T: Ollie Sangster| OR:  -| BF
4/1

Pendragon – 15:55

2
1
Pendragon20
Age: 3|  Weight: 9-8| J: L Morris| T: Sir Mark Prescott| OR:  94| CD
5/4

Worcester

Dexter – 13:10

9
Dextert16
Age: 8|  Weight: 11-2| J: Henry Brooke| T: O Greenall & J Guerriero| OR:  93
6/5

Sixty Plus – 16:42

12
Sixty Plusv7(ex 7)
Age: 5|  Weight: 11-0| J: Sam Twiston-Davies| T: James Owen| OR:  76| CD
8/15

Yarmouth

Dosman – 19:10

1
13
Dosman26
Age: 4|  Weight: 10-0| J: Saffie Osborne| T: J A Osborne| OR:  97| D
11/1

Caprelo – 20:10

9
6
Caprelob26
Age: 4|  Weight: 8-8| J: Jack Doughty| T: H Morrison| OR:  75
16/1

Brasil Power – 20:40

6
3
Brasil Powert52
Age: 6|  Weight: 8-12| J: Billy Loughnane| T: G Boughey| OR:  84| D
33/1

Wave Rider – 20:40

12
11
Wave Rider40
Age: 3|  Weight: 8-7| J: T E Whelan| T: Harry Charlton| OR:  88| D
6/5

Leopardstown

Genchev – 17:25

2
3
Genchev19
Age: 2|  Weight: 9-7| J: Gary Carroll| T: G M Lyons| OR:  -
5/1

Brownstown – 18:27

2
2
Brownstown42
Age: 2|  Weight: 9-2| J: Gary Carroll| T: G P Cromwell| OR:  -| CD
7/1

Smexy – 18:27

6
5
Smexy15
Age: 2|  Weight: 9-2| J: James Ryan| T: G M Lyons| OR:  -
33/1

Refreshment – 19:27

4
3
Refreshmentb27
Age: 3|  Weight: 9-6| J: G M Ryan| T: M Fahey| OR:  79| C
5/1

Wexford

Zanoosh – 17:10

5
Zanoosh46
Age: 5|  Weight: 11-7| J: Brian Hayes| T: Colm Murphy| OR:  -| BF| D
10/1

Hillhead Runner – 17:10

1
Hillhead Runnert19
Age: 5|  Weight: 11-7| J: Eoin Staples(7)| T: G P Cromwell| OR:  -
8/1

Thursday's Best Bet

PENDRAGON - 15:55 Sandown

2
1
Pendragon20
Age: 3|  Weight: 9-8| J: L Morris| T: Sir Mark Prescott| OR:  94| CD
5/4

PENDRAGON has done noting but improve since entering handicaps this season, typical of one trained by Sir Mark Prescott, and he remains one to keep on the right side.

He won over this course and distance with any amount in hand to complete a hat-trick last time, quickening clear in the style of a potentially smart horse, impressing with the ground he put between him and the rest in a matter of strides.

The timefigure was also impressive, so a subsequent 9lb rise in the weights is justified, and he is yet to reach the ceiling of his ability.

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