Friday Racing Tips from Steve Ryder

Aramaic may come forward from his reappearance run last time but preference goes to the Luke Dace trained YOUTHFUL KING (best priced at 11/2) under a penalty. The four-year-old won over this course and distance last season by three lengths off a mark of 74 before placing off a mark of 80 at Goodwood on his next start.

Youthful King needed his reappearance run at Newbury but bounced back to form with a 3 ½ length victory at Windsor 11 days ago off a mark of 78. The handicapper has raised him 7lbs for that victory so connections have decided to run him under a 5lb penalty instead meaning that he is 2lbs “well in” at the weights and hopefully this course and distance winner can follow up in this race.

This looks a competitive 0-75 handicap but the unpenalised ZOUKSTER (best priced at 15/8) should hold strong claims of completing a hat-trick of wins. The Ed Walker trained three-year-old has shown huge improvement since switching to handicap company following a gelding operation with form figures of 211. The son of Zoustar finished a neck 2nd on his first handicap start at Wolverhampton before winning by 1 ¼ lengths at Salisbury off a mark of 57 under Tom Marquand.

Zoukster followed at Goodwood under Billy Loughnane in an apprentice handicap a week ago by tow lengths off a mark of 63 and he runs here unpenalised for that win. The handicapper has raised the gelding 6lbs for that victory he runs here 6lbs “well in” at the weights and he should prove hard to beat.

The Ed Dunlop stable continue in good form recently (25% strike rate in the last two weeks) and MATTY TOO (best priced at 13/8) should hold strong claims under a 5lb penalty. The four-year-old won on his stable debut last time following one run for Ben Pauling where he won in a first time visor by 3 ¼ lengths at Yarmouth.

The handicapper has raised Matty Too 8lbs for that victory but he instead runs here under a 5lb penalty meaning that he 3lbs “well in” at the weights in this race. Connections have booked star 3lb claimer Billy Loughnane for that ride and I expect him to prove hard to beat in this race.

This looks a competitive 0-90 handicap but the progressive four-year-old DOCTOR KHAN JUNIOR (best priced at 9/2) should hold strong claims of completing a hat-trick of wins. The Geoff Oldroyd trained gelding is 2/2 since being fitted with a visor where he has defied odds of 33/1 and 28/1 in those victories. He won at Newcastle over 6f by 1 ¾ lengths off a mark of 62 before defying a 9lb rise to win over this course and distance last time by a length off a mark of 71.

The handicapper has raised Doctor Khan Junior 3lbs which is fair and he should run well off a low weight with 3lb claimer Harry Davies taking over on board and up to six places available.