A busy Friday ahead for racing fans with five UK and Irish meetings taking place. They come at Bangor-on-Dee and Kempton over jumps in the afternoon alongside all-weather racing from Southwell, while the Friday Night Lights will be on at Dundalk and Chelmsford for their Polytrack meetings.
Our Friday fancies include a promising opportunity for the champion jockey Brian Hughes at Bangor for his long-time ally Donald McCain.
Selections
- Bangor 2.50 - Hidalgo De L'isle @ 11/4
- Dundalk 6.00 - Teutates @ 9/4
- Kempton 1.30 - Sashenka @ 11/2
Tip 1
The Bill Pusey Memorial Handicap Hurdle (2.50) at Bangor-on-Dee might go the way of HIDALGO DE L'ISLE (11/4) for the ever-reliable McCain and Hughes alliance.
Though he's been beaten favourite in all four starts under Rules thus far, that's not a stick with which to beat him at this point.
He shaped well in two bumpers last spring and was second in a Newcastle novice (2m, good) in November's return/hurdles bow - a solid enough race as things have worked out.
He went up in trip last month at Sedgefield (2m4f, soft) and once more achieved a silver medal, well beaten by the winner but 10-lengths clear of the third. That winner - a Brian Ellison-trained four-year-old - was getting a whopping 36lb from Hidalgo De L'isle that afternoon, so that has to go down as another decent effort.
He's on more favourable terms now and may account for the Dr Richard Newland-trained Rewired and Jonjo O'Neill's Rewired, both of which have displayed some promise already.
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Tip 2
It's a Friday and that means the 'Golden Highway' at Dundalk is in operation. Ireland's only all-weather track is a staple as the weekend begins and trainer Donnacha O'Brien will be hopeful that last month's C&D scorer TEUTATES (9/4) has some more to offer in the Dundalk Winter Series Leading Trainer & Jockey Championship Race (6.00).
He was quite easy to back in that debut run four weeks ago but came through from off the pace for a pleasing win, one that looks solid with the third winning his next start and Tabuk, only ninth, running a good race in third over track and trip a fortnight ago and set to re-oppose now.
Main market rival Storm Entry won a 7f course maiden here three weeks ago, but that didn't strike as being a strong race and Teutates and Gavin Ryan are fancied this time.
Tip 3
Dan Skelton's handicap debutant Iorens commands respect but the market has identified her claims in this Conditional Jockeys' Mares' Handicap Hurdle (1.30) that opens the afternoon action at Kempton.
Progressive, meanwhile, has stalled a bit since her win for Nicky Henderson at Warwick in emphatic fashion in the autumn, for all that last month's Chepstow second behind Galice Macalo was a sound run on second outing for Dr Richard Newland.
They are the front two in the betting but SASHENKA (5/1) is a worthy contender and finds herself on the Most Napped table via the Betfred Betfinder for today's racing action.
She won a Hereford maiden hurdle in this month last year under similar conditions for Michael Scudamore and was second over the same C&D in October's stable bow for this handler behind a rival that was in form and had conditions in her favour.
Two solid efforts on the Polytrack here before Christmas followed and, now back hurdling, she's a key player in this contest for her father and son team, Dominic and Ben Ffrench-Davis.
Horse Racing Odds
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