Horse Racing Tips: Pauling hurdler to be a cut above in 7/1 Thursday double

• It's six winners from the last eight tips for the column

• Pauling prospect could take a high order this season

• Mark looks fair enough for handicap debutante at Chelmsford

Newbury - 13:05: Back Roysse @ 1/12.00

Newbury's first jumps' card of the season greets in the winter today and we could have a good one in the shape of Roysse in the 13:05 Novices' Hurdle.

My colleague Daryl Carter also likes him and has Roysse as one of his tips today in his column and I cannot disagree at all with the reasoning.

In terms of a fluent mover, Roysse has that ability in abundance judged on both of his bumper runs last season. He travelled like the best horse in the race on his rules debut at Wincanton and made no mistake at Newbury when seen last January and the experience of his debut served him well - and it certainly got the commentator Ian Bartlett excited as he shot clear.

He will stay further as a son of Kayf Tara with the dam out of one of the "Bollin" horses, and this really should be straightforward for his hurdling debut and I expect Ben Jones to take a lead and sit second or third, and while quicker ground today (it was soft according to Timeform at Newbury), he is such a fluent mover, he shouldn't have a problem as the ground looks to be a bit easier on the hurdles course and light rain is forecast.

Pauling runs him for the first time since a wind op too and I wouldn't be surprised if he goes odds-on, plus the second favourite is trained by Harry Derham, and his horses often go off a little shorter than they should.

Chelmsford - 20:00: Maid In Chelsea @ 3/14.00

The 20:00 Betfair Exchange Handicap over 6f is a trappy little affair with four at the top of the betting at 11/43.75 and 7/24.50 and it resembles more of a Crayford race.

I see no reason why Maid In Chelsea cannot continue her progression as she goes handicapping for the first time following two novice wins.

The latest of those came in brutal ground at Windsor against two other rivals but she won quite comfortably in terms of the distance to the second (who was closing), and it was a real old test over the far side as the finishing speed was around 95%. While not quite walking, they were all clearly tired.

She was a winner on the All-Weather previously at Wolverhampton so she's proved she can go left-handed on artificials and a carbon copy of that run could be on the cards as she came very wide that day (and runners shunned the inside) with a sweeping move to record the fastest two closing sectionals in the field.

If she can lie up reasonably handy, she's a player as I don't like horses getting too far back at Chelmsford, but she is sure to have a strong finish.

Now read more tips and previews for Thursday's racing here!