Timeform Daily View - Thursday preview and tips

Horse Racing

Wed October 14, 2026 · 9h ago

Timeform provide an overview of three things to note on Thursday.

Stayers’ Hurdle fourth back in action over fences

“Will go down as the most blatant non-stayer of the week” begins the Timeform report of Kabral Du Mathan’s performance in the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle. Winner of the Relkeel Hurdle on his previous start, the Dan Skelton-trained gelding was sent off just 4/1 for the big one at the Festival and looked likely to reward punters when hitting the front before the last.

However, that was when the petrol gauge hit empty, and he wilted so badly that he lost a further two places inside the final furlong to eventually fill fourth place behind surprise winner Home By The Lee.

Three miles now becomes two (not as catchy a song title for the Spice Girls admittedly) for his chasing debut in the Download The Free Racing TV App Now Beginners' Chase (13:25).

According to Skelton, "He’s schooled nicely and we’re looking forward to getting him started", and this most obvious of Timeform ‘Horse In Focus’ runners is expected to make a winning return, though it would be no great surprise were the very promising novice last season Hold The Serve, with a tongue-tie back on after a wind op, or the listed hurdle-winning mare Dream Shadow make a good race of it.

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Battle of the ‘Horses In Focus’?

Hombre De Guerra and Orderoftheday top the weights for division one of the Racing TV, Home Of Live Racing Handicap Chase (15:40), with both horses having picked up the HIF flag when last seen in the spring.

For Orderoftheday that outing was a winning chasing debut at Uttoxeter; he only beat three runners but did so despite the drop in trip under less testing conditions and he strikes as one who'll be well worth following in staying handicaps. Will this be enough of a test?

Hombre De Guerra has an altogether different profile having steadily slipped down the weights over fences over shorter distances. However, he shaped with more promise up to this trip at Ayr when last seen in April, doing best of those ridden from off the pace.

But this is far from a two-horse race, with the unexposed chasing debutant Minella Marathon thrown into the mix. The Skeltons are on a mission and this five-year-old – owned by the Scot Ronnie Bartlett – makes his handicap/chasing debut with the stable flying. A point-to-point winner at Liscarroll last March, he’s one to respect after a summer wind op.

The Bowens have enjoyed a fine record at Perth, though Lermoos Legend has a more exposed profile, a comment that also applies to Tanking Along but his yard is living up to that moniker at present (three winners form their last four runners, one an eight-length winner on the Flat).

With Moyganny Phil likely to improve at some point now trying fences, and the other runners not discounted without a glance either, this looks likely to prove a very informative 0-120 handicap.

In a different league

Division two of the race at 16:15 looks – on paper, at least – like an easier puzzle to solve.

Olly Murphy has a 33% strike-rate at the track (48-144, +24.45 level stakes profit) which increases to 42% with his chasers, so the obvious place to start is with another HIF Kado Sacree.

Like stablemate Moyganny Phil in division one, Kado Sacree is a Premier Plastering Limited-owned six-year-old making his chasing debut, though he has the services of stable jockey Sean Bowen and looked a horse to keep on-side when following up his April win at Carlisle with victory here a month later.

A near one-in-five strike-rate with his handicap chase debutants at the track further increases confidence around this former Irish point-to-point winner. With no obvious frontrunner, there shouldn't be too much pressure put on his technique first time up over the bigger obstacles.

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