Friday Racing Tips from Steve Ryder

Aidan O’Brien has had three winners and three second places at Royal Ascot so far this year and he looks to hold strong claims with Jackie Oh (best priced at 11/2) in this race. The well bred daughter of Galileo had a winning debut at Naas in March before finishing a close 2nd at Navan on her next start at Navan in a listed race over 1m2f when racing too keen early on.

Jackie Oh finished 5th in the Irish 1000 Guineas on her next start when only beaten 5 ¾ lengths and hopefully that form will have received a boost in the Coronation Stakes earlier on the card. She makes her handicap debut off a mark of 102 in this race and hopefully she is drawn on the right side of the track in Stall 28 with up to eight places on offer.

This looks a weak 0-60 apprentice handicap with none of the runners having won on their previous five starts. Preference goes to Little Ted (best priced at 7/2) who bounced back to form at Nottingham a week ago and runs in this race from 2lbs “well in” at the weights. The Tim Easterby trained six-year-old has won four times in his career off marks of 58, 63, 55 and 61 before finishing 2nd by only ½ length a week ago off a mark of 54.

The handicapper has raised Little Ted 2lbs for that effort up to mark of 56 but he runs in this race instead off a mark of 54 meaning that he is well handicapped and he also has the most experienced jockey in the race with Sean Kirrane on board.

Amo Racing had a surprise 150/1 winner yesterday in the Norfolk Stakes and hopefully they can have another big priced winner in the shape of Walbank (best priced at 28/1). The three-year-old finished 2nd behind Commonwealth Cup contender Noble Style on debut over this course and distance before winning at York by seven lengths on his next start. He finished a close 2nd on his next start in the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes on his next start before finishing 3rd by 1 ¾ lengths in the Group 3 Molecomb Stakes on his next start.

Walbank disappointed in a listed race at York on his reappearance run but has since moved yards from David Loughnane to Dominic Ffrench Davis prior to this run. He makes his handicap debut off a mark of 100 and interesting is fitted with first time blinkers with up to six places on offer.

Desperate Hero is respected under a 6lb penalty in this 0-82 handicap but I am willing to take a chance on the outsider of the field So Sleepy (best priced at 20/1) on her first run since a wind operation. The William Muir & Chris Grassick trained three-year-old won on her debut at Lingfield over 5f before failing to beat a rival home on her next two starts.

So Sleepy finished well beaten in the Group 3 Dick Poole Stakes at Salisbury before finishing last in a nursery at Southwell on her next start. She now makes her reappearance following 275 days off the track but crucially has also had a wind operation since her last run and hopefully she can spring a surprise in this race.