Horse Racing tips: Your best picks for Friday’s ITV Races action from the trading room

Top PP Trader Ryan McCue hopes to strike early with Flora of Bermuda (13:50) on a fun Friday of ITV Racing.

El Fabiolo wins at Leopardstown Jumps racing

Chepstow marks day one of the new National Hunt season in the UK and Paddy Power Trader Ryan McCue hasa coupel of picks from the Welsh track as well as the Flat meetings at York and Newmarket on Friday.

Ryan McCue’s Horse Racing Tips

13:35 Chepstow – De Rasher Counter
13:50 Newmarket – Flora of Bermuda
14:10 Chepstow – Della Casa Lunga (each-way)
14:40 York – Knockbrex (each-way)
14:25 Newmarket – Chic Colombine
15:00 Newmarket – Chindit
15:35 Newmarket – Pivotal Trigger (each-way)
15:50 York – Zozimus (each-way)
16:10 Newmarket – Classical Song (each-way)

*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.

13:35 Chepstow – De Rasher Counter

This is a tricky race to start with, although we’ve plenty of form to work off. All bar three are making their seasonal returns. I can’t see the ground being good with the rain that’s forecast to hit the track so De Rasher Counter might be a little overprices in here. He’s won a few times on heavy so clearly goes well with a cut in the ground and although he’s never won on his seasonal return, he has run well a few times.

13:50 Newmarket –  Flora Of Bermuda

Flora Of Bermuda clearly acts well with a cut in the ground and only found an on song Big Evs to good last time in the Flying Childers at Doncaster. This looks an ideal race for her after that and although there’s a few Irish challengers coming over, she need not worry too much about them as they’ll need to improve to take this.

14:10 Chepstow – Della Casa Lunga (each-way)

Captain Teague will likely be tough to beat as the best form on offer in here is his third place in the Champion Bumper at the Festival. He looks the type to do better over obstacles as he’s a former pont-topoint winner and looks to have plenty of size about him. In saying that, there’s no real value in his price for me so I’d rather stick up Della Casa Lunga each-way.

She’s having her first start for a new yard but held her form really well in Ireland last season. She’s gone well on slower ground a couple of times in the past and the fact she’s only a five-year-old means there could be more improvement to come.

14:25 Newmarket – Chic Colombine

Another very trappy race and not one I’ll be having a bet in as there’s too many unknowns. If pushed for an opinion, Chic Colombine has plenty in her favour but this is obviously a decent step up in class to contend with. We haven’t seen Dance Sequence since the beginning of July so it’s hard to know what to expect from her.

14.40 York – Knockbrex (each-way)

Knockbrex has had an up and down season but ran a bit better off a six-week break last time at Thirsk. That run came over 1m4f but if you stop the race a furlong down you would think he was going to finish last. He ends up running on again to finish fourth and the step up an extra couple of furlongs along with the fact he’s now 5lbs lower than what he was three runs ago can see him go well at a nice price.

 

15:00 Newmarket – Chindit

Chindit is getting plenty of racing lately but is holding his form well. He wasn’t beaten far last time when he was in search of a hat trick and there’s no star in this. He may be a little overpriced. Ryan Moore takes over the ride on him for the first time so that has to go down as a positive. Matilda Picotte should go a decent gallop from the front so Chindit will have a good pace to aim at.

15:35 Newmarket – Pivotal Trigger (each-way)

This is a very competitive race and Pivotal Trigger is one that may well outrun his odds. He’s having his first start for the Gosdens after leaving Jessica Harrington’s yard. Although he hasn’t been at his best this season, I don’t think he’s been campaigned too well. His last two runs were against older horses and sometimes it can be hard for three-year-olds when taking them on. He’s back against his own age group now and if the change of yards has woken him up, he looks an each-way player with 4 places on offer by Paddy Power.

15.50 York – Zozimus (each-way)

Zozimus ran two very solid races prior to finishing mid division in the Cambridgeshire two weeks ago at Newmarket. Not everything fell his way that day. He was rated 97 at his peak in Ireland and there’s definitely a race in him off a mark of 86 based on his last few efforts. Again with 4 places on offer by Paddy Power if they all line up, Zozimus is my each-way pick.

16:10 Newmarket – Classical Song (each-way)

The market will be fascinating as Ballydoyle’s Ylang Ylang ran a strange of race last time when getting going all too late at Newmarket. Ryan Moore rides Ylang Ylanghaving ridden Doreen Tabor’s Classical Song trained by Ralph Beckett on her first two starts. It might pay to find something each-way to back against Shuwari and Ylang Ylang at the head of the market, so Classical Song is the pick. The step up to 1m should really suit on pedigree and I liked the way she found for pressure last time when coming off the bridle to win at Sandown. The form of that race has worked out well and she looks a solid each-way bet to me.

Ryan McCue’s Horse Racing Tips

13:35 Chepstow – De Rasher Counter
13:50 Newmarket – Flora of Bermuda
14:10 Chepstow – Della Casa Lunga (each-way)
14:40 York – Knockbrex (each-way)
14:25 Newmarket – Chic Colombine
15:00 Newmarket – Chindit
15:35 Newmarket – Pivotal Trigger (each-way)
15:50 York – Zozimus (each-way)
16:10 Newmarket – Classical Song (each-way)

*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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