Horse racing tips for York on Thursday

By Timeform

16:52 · THU May 18, 2023

Timeform highlight a ratings choice, a big improver and Flag to note at York on Thursday.

The Ratings Choice

Free Wind - 14:25 York

Free Wind was most progressive as a three-year-old in 2021, winning four of her five starts, notably tasting success in a Group 3 at Deauville and bounding clear to record a seven-length success in the Park Hill Stakes over a mile and three quarters at Doncaster.

However, she produced her best effort to date when winning the Lancashire Oaks at Haydock on her sole start last season, overcoming not only a 10-month absence but major interference in-running. The manner in which she got going again after almost going through the rails and down on her knees shows without much doubt that she's a Group-1 performer, while she also completed her recovery as the pace was still increasing.

Free Wind has another 10-month absence to overcome, but her record when fresh is a very positive one, and there is no doubt she is a high-class mare in the making. She doesn't have a penalty to carry on her return to action, either, and though she drops back to a mile and a quarter now, on ratings - she is at least 7 lb clear of her rivals on Timeform weight-adjusted ratings and still has a 'p' attached to her rating, denoting she is open to further improvement - she should prove a tough nut to crack kept to Group 2 company.

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The Big Improver

Changeofmind - 16:10 York

This is another competitive renewal of this three-year-old listed event which usually goes to a progressive type and Changeofmind ticks all of the boxes in this year's renewal.

He started at 12/1 when making a winning debut over five furlongs at Chester on his sole start as a juvenile, knowing his job well and showing bags of speed, leading after a furlong and making the rest of the running to beat another useful type, while also breaking the two-year-old track record.

Changeofmind improved a chunk on his return from 10 months off when following up under a penalty at Catterick three weeks ago, again displaying plenty of speed and easily moving clear of his rivals from two furlongs out. There wasn't much depth in that race, but Changeofmind looked levels above throughout while still not looking the finished article.

This will require another step forward, but he is an unexposed, unbeaten colt who has the potential to take this step up in class in his stride and remains a horse to keep on the right side.

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The Timeform Flag

Land Legend - 17:20 York

Flags: Top Rated, Horse In Focus, Hot Trainer

Land Legend was held back by inexperience on his debut over a mile at Kempton in November and he shaped similarly over the same course and distance on his next start two weeks later.

He was unconsidered in the market but showed much improved form on his qualifying run at Southwell in January whilst leaving the impression that run was still just scratching the surface, and he duly progressed another chunk upped to a mile and a quarter when opening his account on handicap debut at Newcastle on his latest start.

That was his first start since undergoing a gelding operation and he was much stronger in the betting, not giving his backers an ounce of worry as he stretched clear in effortless fashion in the final furlong. Land Legend won in the style of a horse who was well ahead of his mark, so a subsequent 11 lb rise in the weights shouldn't be enough to stop him following up, especially now stepping up to a mile and a half, a trip he is bred to relish.

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