Thursday Racing Tips: Key Timeform data including a Horse In Focus

• Harper's Ferry one to follow

• Green Pursuit can follow up

• Somespring Special can make it back-to-back wins

Recent rain in Harper's Ferry's favour

The recent dry spell has ended, at least at Newmarket where the going was on the soft side earlier this week, and that's good news as far Harper's Ferry's chances are concerned in their mile handicap for older horses (15:00).

Ed Walker's four-year-old is out of Oaks winner Talent and he was campaigned over middle distances for most of last season but he's a strong-travelling type and proved well suited by dropping back to a mile for his final start last year. That was at Doncaster where he was able to channel his enthusiasm much more efficiently over the shorter trip, making the running and finding plenty to assert from another smart rival, Midnight Gun, who wasn't beaten far in last month's Lincoln.

The going was soft at Doncaster, so this week's rain won't have done Harper's Ferry's chances any harm and he can make a successful start to the new campaign off top weight, being 3 lb clear in the Timeform weight-adjusted ratings.

Green Pursuit ahead of mark under a penalty

Green Pursuit didn't show much more than modest form in his four starts at two but he was strongly supported for his debut for Adrian Keatley at Catterick last week and showed plenty of improvement to make a winning start for his new yard. He looks capable of following up in Ripon's six-furlong handicap for three-year-olds (15:10).

Also gelded prior to last week's return, Green Pursuit still didn't look the finished article at Catterick where he hung left on leading a furlong out having raced off the pace, but he was well on top at the finish after drawing clear in the final fifty yards to beat Lucius Aurelius by two and a half lengths.

The timefigure backed up Green Pursuit's performance, and he should take all the beating under a 6 lb penalty, being fully 4lb clear in the Timeform weight-adjusted ratings.

Somespring Special for repeat win at Cheltenham

Twelve months ago, Somespring Special won the two-mile handicap chase on Cheltenham's mares' card and she looks capable of a repeat in this year's renewal (16:30).

Somespring Special has turned out to be well named as all five of her career wins have come at around this time of year. She was completing a quick double in the Cheltenham race last year as she was following up a win at Plumpton just four days earlier. Somespring Special has undergone a couple of stable changes since, moving from

Anthony Honeyball last summer for one run for Chris Gordon before another switch to Philip Hobbs & Johnson White who have the 'Hot Trainer' flag.

Somespring Special had been off for eight months before her debut for her latest yard but she again came good in the spring when returning at Wincanton last month. She only had two rivals to beat but accomplished her task with enthusiasm and had plenty in hand, being value for a ten-length success and earning the 'Horse In Focus' flag. Heading the Timeform weight-adjusted ratings by 2lb, she should make a bold bid to win this again.

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