Racing betting preview: Thursday's race-by-race tips

Nichols Canyon can confirm Cheltenham form and back up that victory in the Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle on the third day of the Punchestown Festival.

The Willie Mullins-trained gelding relished the three miles of last month's Stayers' Hurdle as he came out on top against Lil Rockerfeller and Unowhatimeanharry.

There appeared to be no fluke about that success and it has to be remembered that Nichols Canyon won the two-and-a-half-mile Grade One novice hurdle at this meeting two years ago.

This may be a strong renewal of this race but Nichols Canyon keeps surprising everyone and has already eight wins at the highest level.

Mullins has made no secret of how he rates Great Field and the rapidly-progressive six-year-old can continue his winning run in the Ryanair Novice Chase.

Great Field only won his beginners' chase at Gowran in May and has since followed up at Leopardstown and Thurles.

The JP McManus-owned gelding has made all the running on those occasions and has never looked like stopping. He looks an exciting prospect.

The McManus colours can also be carried to victory by Stamp Your Feet, who goes for the JLT Handicap Hurdle in tremendous form.

His trainer Tom George loves to target this meeting but only brings horses he feels have a good chance and Stamp Your Feet certainly fits that bill.

He looked an improving type when winning a competitive contest at Haydock earlier this month and the handicapper may not yet have his measure.

Barra can land a deserved success in the Alanna Homes (Mares) Novice Hurdle after being highly tried in her last three starts since winning a maiden event.

The Gordon Elliott-trained six-year-old was a fine runner-up to Let's Dance in the Trull House Stud Mares' Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham.

She followed that up with another big effort to take third place behind Augusta Kate and Let's Dance in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Novice Hurdle Championship Final at Fairyhouse earlier this month.

This race should not take as much winning and she looks to have solid claims, as long as those last two races have not left their mark.

Raucous can claim the honours on his first run for 208 days in the Buxted Construction Ltd Conditions Stakes, the richest race on the card at Chelmsford.

The William Haggas-trained four-year-old is having his first run since being gelded, but is well worth the risk.

Connections have clearly not lost faith in him as he holds an entry in the Duke of York Stakes at York next month.

Raucous boasts Pattern-race form as a two- and three-year-old, having finished third in the Gimcrack at York behind Ajaya as a juvenile and third to Shalaa in the Bengough Stakes at Ascot last autumn.

After wins at Wolverhampton and Newcastle earlier in the year, Mystique Moon gets his chance on this surface in the Eagle Roofing Handicap.

Charlie Appleby's gelding has just done enough to win on both starts and has been hard for the handicapper to assess.

Pacharana is Luca Cumani's only runner at Beverley and the four-year-old can justify the journey from Newmarket by taking the Alan McGuinness And Robin Lunness Memorial Handicap.

The daughter of Oasis Dream looks set to carry on her good work from 2016 when she won four races in a row before being put firmly in her place by Cartwright at Pontefract.

The form of that race can be questioned as the field, in what was an apprentice contest, was well strung out and while the winner was a worthy one, Pacharana is arguably better than the bare facts would suggest.

She can resume winning ways on the Westwood.

Atteq makes his first appearance on turf since his debut at Chester after six efforts on the all-weather in the David McGowan And John Binks Memorial Handicap.

The three-year-old, trained by Richard Fahey, has made the first four in those latter races and can finally get his head in front in the colours of Al Shaqab Racing.

Value At Risk ran far better than it looks at Aintree on first glance and the drop in distance can see Dan Skelton's charge collect the River Tay Handicap Chase at Perth.

Boa Island won nicely at Chepstow earlier this month and can be another winner for trainer Paul Nicholls in the Jack Bevan Bookmakers Handicap at Taunton.

The Richard Phillips-trained Muthabir is fancied to follow up his recent Taunton success in the 32Red Handicap Hurdle at Market Rasen.

Sporting Life suggestions:

BEVERLEY: 1.40 Lucky Beggar, 2.10 Emilia James, 2.45 Kodiac Khan, 3.15 Atteq, 3.50 Lopito De Vega, 4.25 Pacharana, 5.00 Fortuities.

CHELMSFORD: 5.25 Noguchi, 5.55 Historic Event, 6.30 Golden Amber, 7.05 Raucous, 7.40 Outer Space, 8.15 Shaiyem, 8.45 Mystique Moon.

MARKET RASEN: 4.35 Gris de Pron, 5.10 My Little Cracker, 5.45 Muthabir, 6.20 Crafty Roberto, 6.55 Clubs Are Trumps, 7.30 Wish In A Well, 8.00 Haafapiece.

PERTH: 2.00 Top Ville Ben, 2.35 Duke Of Navan, 3.05 Mash Potato, 3.35 Spiculas, 4.10 Value At Risk, 4.45 Total Assets, 5.20 Black Ivory.

PUNCHESTOWN: 3.40 Stamp Your Feet, 4.15 Potters Point, 4.50 Cantlow, 5.30 NICHOLS CANYON (NAP), 6.05 No Comment, 6.40 Great Field, 7.15 Barra, 7.45 Rathcannon.

TAUNTON: 1.50 Prince Mahler, 2.20 Faction, 2.55 Kaspian Tern, 3.25 Jazzy Lady, 4.00 Lined With Silver, 4.30 Queens Cloak, 5.05 Boa Island.

DOUBLE: Nichols Canyon and Great Field