Horse Racing Tips: Unexposed handicappers to the fore with a Thursday double

• Haggas a force at Newcastle with impressive win and placed record

• Newmarket selection worth another chance after Wetherby flop

• Alan Dudman picks out selections for Thursday with a 14/115.00 double

Newcastle - 16:10: Back Elnajmm

I've been on the wrong end of getting beat by rider Sean D Bowen and it's telling that William Haggas has opted for the young apprentice at Newcastle with Elnajmm.

The 4yo Sea The Stars gelding is a horse with potential, and he has to improve to be a player in this hot 0-105 1m Handicap, but he's lightly-raced and certainly can improve.

It is a first run of the season for Elnajmm, and a first run in handicap company too from 86, but this looks a good piece of placing from Haggas off such a low weight plus the jockey's claim.

His last run was a first win (after three successive seconds) and he done no more than scrape home at cramped odds of 1/7 in a non-entity of a race at Lingfield against just two rivals.

He didn't look the most straightforward then, nor in his previous starts, but he's been gelded since and as a son of Sea The Stars, should stay a little further than today's 1m distance.

Haggas is far from red hot in terms of numbers of late - as in the last two weeks he's 9-55 at 16%, but his stats at Newcastle provide an increase with a win rate at 29% and stellar placed record of 54%.

The selection's dam Muneyra was also trained by Haggas and was a winner on the AW in a light career and he is the most interesting runner on today's card for his first run of 2024.

Newmarket - 17:05: Back Transitioning

Another selection runs in a handicap for the first time in the shape of Transitioning, and he's worth another chance after flopping as a favourite at Wetherby last time.

I put him up as a selection in the column for that run, and he was well backed all day and was 13/82.63 in the end.

His run didn't quite match the support and he looked one paced in the finish over 7f, but the step up to 1m today will certainly suit him better, and Wetherby's card that evening (and like most racing there) highlighted the need to be away from the far side rail. As the card developed, they were shunning that part of the track as if someone had laid down some kippers there.

I think he's a lot better than that run, and he was disadvantaged by being on the inside at Wetherby, I will take another chance on his handicap debut from 78 as he looked a nice prospect when winning previously. He travelled very smoothly at Doncaster on good to soft and he's from a good family too.

His rating of 78 looks attractive judged on that Doncaster win, and Balding applies the first time hood.

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