Horse Racing Tips: Follow a yard in form at Southwell for Thursday 25/1 double

• Balding in red-hot form at 39% recently 

• King's Lynn shaped well after a break last time 

• Cliffcake another who should build on recent return 

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Southwell - 13:42: Back King's Lynn @ 9/25.50

The best race on the Southwell card by a long chalk is the 13:42 0-95 over 6f and all eyes will be on Dyrholaey in the fancy Wathnan silks but he doesn't appeal too much at the 6/42.50 price, and preference is for the Andrew Balding King's Lynn who shaped well enough from a break last time.

King's Lynn is not a progressive horse at eight years of age and looked in need of the run at Newcastle in a good Class 2 won by Marshman, and he was never really factor from out wide seeing plenty of daylight and in a typical Newcastle race, they got going and sprinted in the closing stages with King's Lynn short of pace inside the final two furlongs.

Dropped down 1lb to 90, I expect a little better today considering his Newcastle effort was a first run for 76 days.

In his time he's been a very good sprinter on peak form and was rated 111 back in 2022, so the mark gives him a big chance today as Andrew Balding will have to explore a few All-Weather opportunities as judged on last season's turf efforts he isn't quite good enough with the advancing years.

It's worth pointing out Balding is in fine form of late and in the last 14 days has fired in nine winners at a strike-rate of nearly 40%.

King's Lynn might be ridden a bit more prominently today and all is not lost judged on a good second off a mark of 93 in September on the turf at Doncaster.

Southwell - 16:12: Back Cliffcake @ 15/44.75

Cliffcake needs a leap of faith as in current form he's struggling, but he's got enough credit in the bank at Southwell as a four-time winner and in a poor race runs from a mark he can win score from.

He landed Class 4 and Class 5 races at Southwell last January and March from marks 70 and 73, so he's well enough treated from his current rating of 66.

Cliffcake wasn't beaten too far over 7f at Southwell in September and shaped well after a break of 76 days last month when going down by five lengths.

It looked as though he needed that and there will be plenty of opportunities for him in this grade in the coming weeks to find a bit of form again and Southwell is his favourite venue.

He's got a decent strike-rate too on the All-Weather with five wins from 18 starts.

January winners at BSP 

Yoshimi (place) 2.9

Ravensbourne (place) 6.22

Hombre De Guerra 2.52

That's About Right 3.56

Terresita 8.64

Tribal Moon 7.14

Birmingham Alabama 3.25

Midweek Voices 6.4

Keep Running 4.7

Monmiral (place) 2.48

Catch Catchfire 4.9

John The Diva (place) 2.52

Amemri 12.65

Now read more tips and previews for Thursday here!