Best bets for the day from Steve Ryder and Oddschecker+ Premium tipsters, as well as key races to follow.
14:40 Fontwell
Steve Ryder runs through the key races on 28th March and names his best bets for the day.
There is jumps racing at Wetherby and Fontwell on Friday 28th March while Lingfield, Southwell and Dundalk stage all-weather meetings.
Today’s Best Bets from Steve Ryder
Despite his latest victory coming on heavy ground, WELLWILLYA (best priced at 11/4) should hold strong claims back over this course and distance. The Helen Nelmes trained seven-year-old won at Exeter earlier this season on good to soft ground by 2 ¾ lengths off a mark of 74 before winning by four lengths last time over this course and distance off a mark of 76.
The form of that run has been boosted with the runner-up Leading Swoop winning by 5 ½ lengths on his next start and as a result Wellwillya looks well handicapped off a 4lb higher mark. He actually runs here from 2lbs “well in” at the weights and can remain unbeaten under Brendan Powell.
14:52 Lingfield
The presence of Hollie Doyle on board HIDDEN VERSE (best priced at 3/1) is fascinating and he is expected to make a winning handicap debut. The jockey has a 28% strike rate for the Dr Richard Newland & Jamie Insole yard (5-18) with a further 4 second placed efforts resulting in a +£15 profit to a £1 level stake. The three-year-old finished well beaten on his three turf starts last year but now makes his handicap debut off an opening mark of 59.
Hidden Verse has been gelded since his last run 217 days ago but looks the type who will prove a different proposition this season in handicaps. Connections also fit him with first time cheekpieces and he is expected to prove hard to beat from Stall 1.
15:00 Wetherby
HAREL DU MARAIS (best priced at 7/4) has won both of his starts for the Charlie & Adam Pogson stable and he should be able to defy a 7lb penalty. The eight-year-old dropped down from a mark of 112 to 95 when trained by Mark Walford but has looked revitalised by a change of yards. He won by 2 ¼ lengths at Southwell off a mark of 95 on his penultimate start before following up last time by 4 ¾ lengths last time off a mark of 100.
The 7lb penalty mirrors the 7lb rise from the handicapper for Harel Du Marais but he is expected to make it 3/3 for the yard with Sean Bowen retaining the ride.
