Horse Racing Tips: Katie Midwinter's best bets for Thursday include 5/1 Southwell tip

• Time for Autumn Winter at Thurles

• Double Agent can complete the assignment

• River will be Shining at Southwell

• Howth can strike from a handy mark

16:15 Thurles - Back Autumn Winter @ 5/42.25

After a respectable seventh in the King George V Stakes when last seen, Autumn Winter is the one to beat in this field from an unchanged mark of 86. He was unfortunate at Royal Ascot when struggling for a clear run in the straight, but finished strongly over the mile-and-a-half trip to be beaten by three-and-three-quarter-lengths.

The son of Galileo, who is out of dual Group Two winner Quidura, was in receipt of 2lbs from French Duke, who finished a neck ahead and is now rated 99, with Assailant, now on a mark of 88, behind in ninth.

It was a competitive race in which he was able to hold his own, which puts him firmly in the driving seat in calmer waters here. Ground versatile, there is little reason to oppose the Aidan O'Brien-trained colt who is partnered by Wayne Lordan.

16:50 Thurles - Back Double Agent @ 7/42.75

Double Agent is another Ballydoyle contender who makes plenty of appeal on this Thurles card. Also by Galileo, out of Listed winner and Group Three placed Alive Alive Oh, the three-year-old colt shaped as a thorough stayer in his most recent outing at Navan, when half-a-length second to Hello Neighbour in maiden company.

Having made the running on that occasion, he responded well to being headed in the straight, rallying and sticking to his task to be narrowly denied. He finished ahead of stablemate Get, who has since franked the form, and a step up in trip is the obvious next step on the basis of that performance.

The 600,000gns yearling purchase is a brother to high-class filly Free Wind, a Group Two winner over an extended mile-and-three-quarters, who was also narrowly beaten by Warm Heart in the Group One Yorkshire Oaks.

With a stamina-laden pedigree, lightly-raced Double Agent can show the best of his ability over this extra distance and be competitive.

16:55 Southwell - Back Shining River @ 9/25.50

Irish-raider Shining River makes plenty of appeal in this 7f contest, capable of landing her maiden at the fourth time of asking. The daughter of Expert Eye, who fetched 10,000gns as a yearling, showed significant improvement from her debut effort to finish a staying on third at odds of 20/121.00 on her penultimate start at Haydock.

Displaying a good attitude in the closing stages despite not getting the simplest of routes around and finding herself short of room in the straight, she was able to stick to the task well and quicken effectively when asked to finish a short head behind the reopposing Mandana.

Sent off as favourite in her following start at the track, she finished a disappointing fourth of six having been subject to plenty of market support. It's a race worth putting a line through, however, as she was left standing in the stalls for a significant amount of time before the off, which resulted in her becoming restless and subsequently slowly away. This undoubtedly had an impact on her level of performance, and her jockey, Jason Hart, reported that she had been restless in the stalls beforehand.

Shining River can put her most recent run behind her and return to form here. Her trainer Kevin Thomas Coleman has saddled one winner from one runner at the track this year, and jockey Shane Gray has a 60 percent strike-rate aboard his runners, finishing among the first four with their beaten horses. These are positive statistics in her favour, and she could prove worth siding with at Southwell.

20:00 Southwell - Back Howth @ 5/16.00

Mick Appleby-trained Howth, a former Ballydoyle resident, is 2lb below his last winning mark when victorious under Luke Morris at Wolverhampton in March. Although he hasn't been at his best since over two-miles, he drops back in trip to an adequate 1m6f which should allow him to return to form.

The five-year-old son of Churchill has run well at the track before, when fourth to Andaleep at odds of 20/121.00 in February, and he can do so again from a handy mark.

The gelding holds strong each-way claims over this trip, capable of holding his own at this level having been competitive at a higher level in the past. This looks a feasible opportunity for him to return to winning ways, and he makes the most appeal at a price of 5/16.00.

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