The Best Horse Racing Tips for Sandown & Exeter on Friday

ITV4 cameras will cover a total of seven races from the meetings at Sandown and Exeter on Friday afternoon. The feature race at the Esher track is the Grade 2 Ballymore Winter Novices’ Hurdle at 2.25pm. While at the Devon racecourse, the novice chase, at 2.05pm, gives us another chance to see the potentially exciting The Big Breakaway in action.

We will provide Horse Racing tips, previews and predictions for two races taking place at Sandown, the novices’ limited handicap chase at 1.50pm and the five-runner Grade 2 novices’ hurdle at 2.25pm. At Exeter we will supply a Horse Racing tip for the marathon Close Brothers Handicap Chase at 3.15pm.

Our Tip for the 1.50pm at Sandown:

Top weight Morning Vicar, a faller on his first start over fences at Newbury 12 months ago, has done little wrong in two outings this season, finishing a creditable second at Uttoxeter before making all to open his account at Newbury last month.

Nicky Henderson’s charge is closely matched with fellow rival, and previous stablemate, Before Midnight (now in the hands of Sam Thomas) based on that Newbury race. And both look sure to go well once again.

The Dan Skelton-trained Alnadam made a decent chasing debut at Carlisle a month ago and should improve with that run under his belt. However, despite racing from 3lb out of the handicap, it could pay to take a chance on the Richard Rowe-trained Mister Murchan at the foot of the weights.

The mount of 7lb claimer Niall Houlihan won on his first start over fences, at Fontwell last month. And while that wasn’t the strongest of contests, the son of Westerner impressed with his jumping, something which should stand the seven-year-old in good stead at a course which has caught many a novice out in the past.

Our Tip for the 2.25pm at Sandown:

Only five runners for this Grade 2 novices’ hurdle but all have winning form to their name this season. Alan King’s Valleres made a good start to hurdling when taking a novice contest at Wetherby in October but was a disappointing odds-on favourite at Ludlow next time.

Press Your Luck, Sending Love and Star Gate all recorded easy wins last time. But it was Any News’ defeat of the unbeaten Bumper winner Easy As That at Bangor last month which impressed the most. Neil Mulholland’s gelding won his Bumper on good to firm ground prior to that Bangor victory under much softer conditions.

The mount of Sam Twiston-Davies should appreciate the step up to 2m 4f. And the Stowaway gelding can prove himself a Graded performer with a victory in the race, won by subsequent Grand National hero Neptune Collonges in 2005.

Our Tip for the 3.15pm at Exeter:

With a record over fences reading 0 from 20, the case for the Jonjo O’Neill-trained Lithic winning this extended three mile six furlong stamina test is not an obvious one.

The nine-year-old is in the hands of a trainer who excels in staying handicap chases however, as the victory of Cloth Cap in last weekend’s Ladbrokes Trophy will testify.

The mount of Jonjo O’Neill Jnr will be trying this kind of trip for the first time. And it could be that the son of top class Flat stayer Westerner will leave his previous form behind in a race where many of his exposed rivals have seen better days.

The main dangers look to be last year’s runner-up Petit Power and Bermeo, from the Johnny Farrelly stable, who won an amateur jockey’s handicap chase at Cheltenham in October, before beating all bar Storm Control back at Prestbury Park last month.

Here at Freebets.com we will continue to bring you the very best horse racing betting tips from our experts and the best collection of free bets and betting offers anywhere. Please note all odds are correct at the time of publication.

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