Friday Horse Racing Tips from Steve Ryder

The Tom Tate trained BRUNELLO BREEZE (best priced at 5/2) was an emphatic winner over this course and distance last time and he should hold strong claims despite running off an 8lb higher mark. The four-year-old has shown improved form since the application of blinkers including a 3rd placed finish at Southwell on his penultimate start.

Brunello Breeze eased clear in an amateur jockeys’ handicap over this course and distance last time to win by 5 ½ lengths off a mark of 49 and he is deserving of an 8lb rise. That was only his second run on the AW so he is unexposed on the surface and should prove hard to beat under Franny Norton.

The Joe Tizzard trained TRIPLE TRADE (best priced at 9/2) has a progressive profile and he should run well once again having run well over this course and distance on his reappearance. The seven-year-old has recent form figures of 22U112 including two victories at the end of last season at Wincanton and Kempton.

Triple Trade finished 2nd by only two lengths over this course and distance at the October meeting behind Dancing On My Own off a mark of 129 and he races here off only a 1lb higher mark in this race. Bookmakers are offering four places on the race and he should be involved in the finish.

Last year’s Cross County festival 1-2 Delta Work and Galvin are expected to dominate once again but it is worth remembering that this is a handicap rather than a conditions race like at the festival. Therefore, both of the Gordon Elliott runners have to concede nearly two stone to the rest of the field and they could struggle to concede that amount of weight to Cross Country specialists BACK ON THE LAST (best priced at 5/1) and DIESEL D'ALLIER (best priced at 13/2).

Back On The Lash won this race in 2021 off a mark of 138 before winning in January off a mark of 137. He runs here off a mark of 135 so he is well handicapped on previous form but crucially doesn’t run ‘out of the handicap’ like the likes of Musical Slave and Volcano. Diesel D’Allier won this race in 2019 and then finished 3rd behind Back On The Lash in 2021 before reversing that form at the December meeting that year. Both horses have had reappearance runs to put them spot on for this and they should fill the places if the two favourites underperform.

There are lots of unexposed horses in this 0-60 nursery handicap but preference goes to MULCIBER (best priced at 5/1) on his handicap debut. The Marco Botti trained colt has finished well beaten on his first three career starts but he was well backed prior to being a NR in a similar race earlier this month.

Connections clearly think an opening mark of 58 underestimates Mulciber on his Nursery/Tapeta debut based on that and an improved performance is expected in first time cheekpieces. 

With My Roxanne having to run 2lbs “wrong” at the weights under a 6lb penalty, it should prove SUN FESTIVAL (best priced at 7/2) to add another course and distance success to his record. The Joe Parr trained five-year-old has been running consistently well since returning to the AW after a break with form figures of 122. He won at Chelmsford by a short head off a mark of 56 in September before finishing 2nd by ¾ length off a mark of 59 a fortnight later.

Sun Festival finished 2nd by ¾ length over this course and distance 11 days ago off a mark of 60 under 7lb claimer Alice Bond and he should prove hard to beat with Rossa Ryan taking over off the same mark.