Thursday Racing Tips: Key Timeform data including a 3/1 Horse In Focus at Chelmsford

• Thankyouandplease tops Timeform's ratings by 5 lb

• Dust Cover's form has been given a big boost

• Uncle Don can capitalise on drop in grade

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Exeter, 15:00 - Top-rated Thankyouandplease can follow up

Thankyouandplease opened his account with much more in hand than the margin of two and a quarter lengths would suggest at Leicester last week, relishing the return to heavy ground for the first time since catching the eye on his handicap debut at Newton Abbot in the spring.

Thankyouandplease travelled notably smoothly under a patient ride at Leicester, made headway on the home turn, led before two out and quickly assumed control without having to be asked a serious question.  

He escapes a penalty as that victory was achieved in a handicap hurdle for conditional riders so he looks well treated off the same mark at Exeter, where conditions are set to be testing again if the track passes a raceday inspection. He heads Timeform's weight-adjusted ratings by 5 lb. 

Southwell, 17:22 - Top-Rated Dust Cover has strong form

Dust Cover made no impact on his first couple of starts in handicap company on testing ground, but he showed markedly better form when returning to the all-weather over this course and distance last month.

Dust Cover only scored by a neck from So Alex but the front pair pulled nicely clear of the remainder, and that form looks better now than it did at the time.

So Alex has won both subsequent starts with something to spare, paying a compliment to Dust Cover in the process. Dust Cover looks fairly treated off a 5 lb higher mark and narrowly heads Timeform's weight-adjusted ratings here, while he also has the + symbol to highlight that his Southwell form could possibly be better than it has been rated.

Chelmsford, 20:00 - 'Horse In Focus' Uncle Don can build on promise

Uncle Don has been sliding in the weights but has shaped nicely on a few occasions, including on his latest outing at Lingfield where he caught the eye of Timeform's reporter, earning the Horse In Focus Flag to mark him out as one likely to be of firm interest next time.

Uncle Don ended up making his challenge from a similar position as the eventual winner, but the sectionals suggest that he was still further back than ideal and deserves credit for passing plenty of rivals in the straight and finishing a close-up fourth.

He has generously been eased 1 lb since that encouraging run and heads Timeform's weight-adjusted ratings by 2 lb as he drops into class 4 company for the first time. 

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