Friday Racing Tips from Steve Ryder

The Chris Gordon trained COOLVALLA (best price at 7/4) got off the mark in his career last time with an impressive victory at Lingfield and should hold strong claims under a 7lb penalty. The six-year-old had previously finished well beaten in maiden hurdles before running well to finish 4th on his handicap debut at Fontwell earlier this month. 

Coolvalla has benefitted from the fitting of cheekpieces and won easily by nine lengths last time at Lingfield in impressive fashion. The handicapper has raised him 10lbs for that victory but he instead runs here under a 7lb penalty which makes him 3lbs “well in” at the weights for this race. Freddie Gordon takes over from Tom Cannon in this conditional/amateur rider race claiming 5lbs and he should prove hard to beat. 

The consistent QUEENOHEARTS (best priced at 2/1) was only beaten a short head on her chasing debut last time and should be able to get off the mark in this race with her stable back in form. The nine-year-old mare has consistent form figures of 411211012 in her career with her only disappointing run coming on fast ground at the Cheltenham Festival in the Grade 2 Mares’ Novice Hurdle. She returned from 398 days off the track to make her chasing debut at Lingfield where she was only beaten a short head by the progressive Fantastikas with the pair pulling 33 lengths clear of the third. 

That was Queenohearts’ stable debut for the Kim Bailey yard that day and the yard are now in much better form with a 30% strike rate in the previous two weeks. Connections have given her 35 days off since her last run and if she doesn’t ‘bounce’ then I feel that she should be able to go one better in this race. 

This looks a competitive 0-120 handicap hurdle but preference goes to the Dr Richard Newland trained DYNAMITE KENTUCKY (best priced at 3/1) who has shown improved form since being fitted with headgear this year. The seven-year-old finished 2nd in first time cheekpieces at Fakenham in January before winning in first-time blinkers at Exeter later that month by 4 ½ lengths under Cillin Leonard. He won again off the same mark of 104 next time at Plumpton before finishing 2nd over that same course and distance 11 days ago off a mark of 109.

The handicapper has raised him 3lbs up to a mark of 112 for that defeat but he runs here off his old mark of 109 so he is 3lbs “well in” at the weights for this race. He was ridden by Luke Scott last time but Cillin Leonard now takes back over who has ridden him on his three victories for this yard. That is a huge positive and I think he should prove hard to beat in this race.