Horse Racing tips: Matt Chapman’s best bets for Friday’s ITV Racing

Matt Chapman's Friday fancies taking his best picks at Perth after Sandown's Flat card was abandoned.

Matt Chapman Cheltenham

Matt Chapman’s ITV Racing Betting Tips:

13:30 – Perth – Cuban Cigar
14:05 – Perth – Innisfree Lad (each-way)
13:50 – Sandown – Saxon King
14:25 – Sandown – Adayar
15.00 – Sandown – Mutasaabeq
15:35 – Sandown – Salt Bay

*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.

13:30 – Perth – Cuban Cigar

Something for everyone on ITV Friday with the coverage starting over jumps here with a handicap hurdle over 2m. Fairly open. CUBAN CIGAR might smoke for Lucinda Russell and Patrick Wedge who takes off a useful 5lb. My hope has been running in decent field sizes including when scoring at Musselburgh last time. He’s only up 4lb for that success which looks reasonable to me so should be in the mix.

14:05 – Perth – Innisfree Lad

This is a handicap chase over an extended 3m6f. Very tough. INNISFREE LAD is a very strong stayer and while he’s old at 11 and carrying a big weight he’s got an each-way chance for Theo Gillard and David Dennis. My selection was far from disgraced when fifth at Cheltenham earlier this month and a mark of 123 should be workable. An each-way selection.

Sandown’s Flat card was abandoned

    13:50 – Sandown – Saxon King

    The Flat racing is high class and gets under way here with the Esher Cup Handicap over 1m. SAXON KING has no weight compared to Local Destiny and has already shown he loves the mud. He might well be better than an 81 horse and Andrea Atzeni is a good booking for the in form Charlie Hills stable. He might well go from the front as he did when last seen at Haydock and could be hard to catch.

    14:25 – Sandown – Adayar

    Now the Group 3 Gordon Richards Stakes over 1m2f. Some decent animals here but mud loving ADAYAR should be too good if anywhere near his best for Charlie Appleby and William Buick. The former Derby hero and Arc fourth has long now been a top performer and these conditions are ideal. Obviously Hurricane Lane flopped from the same stable at Newbury, but Adayar rally should win.

    15.00 – Sandown – Mutasaabeq

    Another Group 2 here over 1m. MUTASAABEQ is not the best of these on paper and while he’s won on heavy these conditions might not be ideal. However, he hails from the classy stable of Charlie Hills and jockey Jim Crowley has the chance to dictate the pace here on a horse who stays well. It might not be easy for the closers to go by him in these conditions.

    15:35 – Sandown – Salt Bay

    The Group 3 Sandown Classic Trial over 1m2f. I’ll chance SALT BAY whose stable in that of Ralph Beckett seems in good shape and I always like the yard runners with give in the ground. Rossa Ryan takes the ride on a horse who was third in a Group 1 at Saint-Cloud in bottomless ground as a youngster. He kept on well that day and might be pretty good in these conditions. The trip should be no issue being out of a Galileo mare.

    So best of luck and pray for Yeeehaaas. You hear me Paddy?

    Matt Chapman’s ITV Racing Betting Tips:

    13:30 – Perth – Cuban Cigar
    14:05 – Perth – Innisfree Lad (each-way)
    13:50 – Sandown – Saxon King
    14:25 – Sandown – Adayar
    15.00 – Sandown – Mutasaabeq
    15:35 – Sandown – Salt Bay

    *All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.

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