Friday’s racing tips: Best bets and odds for Newbury, Pontefract and Hamilton

Horse racing correspondent Jonathan Doidge has taken a closer look across Friday’s cards at Newbury, Pontefract and Hamilton and come up with some selections using the best odds from betting sites.

Starting at a very different point on a racecard than usual, there are reasons to believe that FORCE OF LIGHT could justify ante-post favouritism and make a winning debut in this maiden.

It’s not a typical bet for me but one of the reasons for getting involved to small stakes is that the opposition that has any experience haven’t torn up any trees, with second favourite Cilician looking the best of those and he’s been allocated an initial mark of 90, which looks stiff on what he’s achieved and is probably why Brian Meehan isn’t sending him down the nursery route just yet.

On paper, at bigger prices, Arthurian may be capable of showing up well on his first start but his pedigree isn’t a patch on that of the selection, who is brother to 6f/7f 2yo winner Shadow Of Light, who was a Group 1 winner and is also closely related to Group 1 juvenile sprint winner Earthlight.

With Charlie Appleby’s string still going well and his juveniles striking at a whopping 45 per cent this season, he’s clearly got a talented bunch on his hands and this could be the latest cab off the rank with a decent price available on horse racing betting sites.

Friday tip 1: Force Of Light (Newbury, 15.00) – 1pt win @ 13/8 (bet365)

No prizes for originality in this race but I think Appleby can secure a quick double on the Newbury card with NABATI. He is more or less nailed on to go off as the favourite and there’ll be an alarming drift if he doesn’t.

He’s facing a field of whom most already have at least one win to their names, so they’re no mugs, two of three of them such as Sale Shark, Social Symbol and Arapaho Gold having shown genuine ability.

Nabati beat a small field at cramped odds on his Yarmouth debut (6f, good to firm) a couple of weeks ago but he could barely have done it more easily and he looks capable of taking a big step up on that form this time.

As per my previous comments regarding Charlie Appleby’s string, they’re in cracking form and this looks like another of his two-year-olds with potential to climb further up the ladder, now pitched into pattern company on only his second start.

Friday tip 2: Nabati (Newbury, 16.10) – 2pts win @ 11/8 (William Hill)

Three of this field come into the race seeking hat-tricks and there’s another last-time winner out of the seven entered in Reigning Profit.

I was at Ripon when Ruth Carr’s seven-year-old scored earlier this month and he’s got a recently improved profile. He carries a penalty but I think he’ll be hard pressed to successfully back that up with others looking potentially better treated.

Badri is the class act in the field, officially rated 90 after winning three of his last four starts and he has to be much respected, while I’m Next heads the market having also shown improved form in scoring at Redcar and, more recently, Beverley.

Either may be capable of winning again but the same can be said of HOVER ON THE WIND, who represents the in-form Paul Midgley yard. He may not be as highly-rated as some but he loves it here and has twice won over C&D this season.

His second successive 1l victory over Dream Deal, earlier this month, means he shoulders a penalty but he’s shown in the past he’s capable of better still and now may be the right time to catch him with value on betting apps.

Friday tip 3: Hover On The Wind (Pontefract, 19.07) – 1pt each-way @ 7/1 (Betfred)

This looks competitive on paper, with last-time winners Gangsta Man, Manila Scouse and hat-trick seeking Sir Garfield all much respected.

However, it’s not long since FERROUS was showing much more than he has on his last two starts and that class is underlined by the fact that he shares topweight here with Stewards’ Cup winner Commanche Falls.

Jack Channon sends him on a lengthy trip up to Scotland for the race and, while that’s no criteria for selecting him, it does suggest that he might think his seven-time winner has more chance in this field than in some other sprints that carry decent prizes.

He’s proven over the trip and on the described going and he’s now 9lb lower than when contesting his most recent turf start last August. If able to repeat his effort from that day he’d have strong claims here.

He’s been placed at Group 3 level so he has a touch of class about him and he looks like an each-way bet to nothing at his current odds. If he can better his last two efforts then he’ll surely be thereabouts again.

Friday tip 4: Ferrous (Hamilton, 19.15) – 1pt each-way @ 13/2 (bet365)

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