Friday Racing Tips from Steve Ryder

The favourite Langer Dan will no doubt prove popular following his unlucky run at the Cheltenham festival but I much prefer the chances of the mare SPEECH BUBBLE (best priced at 7-1). The Noel Williams trained seven-year-old is lightly raced but has run consistently well in her three starts over hurdles so far. She finished 2nd on her hurdling debut at Lingfield on her reappearance before winning a mares’ novices’ hurdle by 3 ¾ lengths at Newbury on her next start.

It was her last race that makes Speech Bubble really interesting for this race as she finished 2nd behind subsequent Cheltenham Festival winner Love Envoi at Sandown in a Grade 2. The pair pulled nine lengths clear of the third that day and the handicapper has decided to raise her 2lbs based on that collateral form. She instead runs here off a mark of 130 which makes her 2lbs “well in” and I expect her to run well with up to six places available.

Bravemansgame and Ahoy Senor finished 1-2 in the Sefton Novices’ Hurdle last season and have both transitioned well to chasing but I think that both will struggle to beat L’HOMME PRESSE (best priced at 6-4) in this race. The Venetia Williams trained seven-year-old is unbeaten in his five starts over fences and comes into this race following an impressive victory in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival last time on his first attempt at 3 miles.

L'Homme Presse travelled and jumped well throughout that contest and beat Ahoy Senor by 3 ½ lengths at the finish. He had proven Cheltenham form and has never raced at Aintree before but that wouldn’t be any concern to me and I expect him to confirm form with Ahoy Senor in this race.

FAKIR D'OUDAIRIES (best priced at 5-4) bids to join Viking Flagship, Direct Route, Native Upmanship, Moscow Flyer and Voy Por Ustedes in winning this race two years in a row and I feel he has a fantastic chance of doing so. The Joseph O’Brien trained seven-year-old comes here a fresh horse having skipped the Cheltenham Festival and has very little question marks attached. He won the Grade 2 Clonmel Oil Chase by 15 lengths on his reappearance before finishing behind Allaho in both the John Durkan Chase and the Horse & Jockey Hotel Chase at Thurles.

Fakir D’Oudairies won the Grade 1 Ascot Chase last time despite it not being his best jumping performance and I expect him to prove hard to beat back in this race. 

John Butler has always held DESIGNER (best priced at 11-2) in high regard and she is interesting on her handicap debut on her reappearance. The three-year-old outran odds of 125/1 to finished 4th on her debut here over 7f before finishing 2nd on her next start at Newcastle. Connections pitched her into Group 3 company on her next start where she disappointed but she bounced back to win a Chester novice race over her final start last season.

That race was over 5f on soft ground where she stayed on well to win shaping like this step back up to 6f would suit. She was a big juvenile so hopefully she has filled into her frame following 188 days off and I expect her to run well.