Friday’s racing tips: Best bets and odds for Doncaster and Yarmouth

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After a profitable Royal Ascot, our racing correspondent Jonathan Doidge is back to give us his tips for Friday’s action at Doncaster and Yarmouth using the best odds from betting sites.

With the weather as it is, top of the ground horses are enjoying themselves and one who can benefit is PAPA COCKTAIL in this 0-85 6f handicap on Town Moor.

Trained by Michael Herrington in Lincolnshire, he’s a good to firm C&D winner who is fairly consistent for one at this level. He finished behind one of today’s opponents, Photosynthesis, when they were third and fifth respectively here earlier this month.

However, he didn’t get a clear run there and he’s also dropped 1lb since then, making him slightly better off with that Peter Chapple-Hyam-trained runner.

Chapple-Hyam has his string in decent nick and his five-year-old has won two of his 12 turf starts. He’s also got cheekpieces added today and he looks likely to be a threat but closer scrutiny of his form suggests he’d prefer good rather than fast ground.

Irrespective, Herrington also has his runners in cracking form and with a low draw also a positive, I’m taking him to small stakes.

Friday racing tip 1: Papa Cocktail (Doncaster, 11.15) – 1pt win @ 15/2

Just seven runners have been declared and today could be the day that AL MUQDAD ends a drought on turf that dates back almost two years.

The signs are that David O’Meara’s six-year-old is getting closer to further success, having come in for some support last time (5/1 into 9/2), when running well to finish third to Roaring Ralph at Ayr (7f, good to firm).

His effort can probably be marked up to some extent, as he was finished closest to the winner of those who had raced prominently. He starts from the same official BHA mark this time and a repeat effort would see him go very close.

With three last-time winners in the field, I think we’ll get a value price on horse racing betting sites about the selection, who has also ticked the box of being a previous C&D winner and I am happy to side with him.

Friday racing tip 2: Al Muqdad (Doncaster, 11.45) – 1pt win @ 11/2

This could finally be the opportunity that FINLAGGAN needs to break his duck. Still relatively unexposed after just six starts, three in handicaps, he has twice finished second over 1m2f at Pontefract.

Both of those came on good ground, the more recent one when tried in first-time cheekpieces. He’s gone closer to scoring there on his handicap debut in April but having had every chance, he didn’t find the necessary in the final 100 yards back there last time.

Perhaps this track, which places lesser emphasis on stamina, will see him run right through the line this time. There’s a slight unknown given the current going is on the quick side and he’s not yet raced on good to firm but both his sire and dam won on fast ground, so the chances are that it won’t unduly inconvenience him.

A tongue-tie now accompanies those cheekpieces and will hopefully help to make a positive difference to the outcome, although he doesn’t have the longest of prices available on betting apps.

Friday racing tip 3: Finlaggan (Doncaster, 12.15) – 1pt win @ 11/4

A switch of venue for my final selection on Friday and I’m going to side with a runner that has course winning experience at Yarmouth, YA KARIM.

It’s still very early days for the Harry Charlton-trained three-year-old. He began with a promising effort in a Kempton maiden (7f, AW) last September and then came here and produced an improved effort when making all to win a novice event (7f, good; well supported).

He returned here over this C&D for his reappearance in April, (good; first-time hood) when he hung badly late on and was well beaten. A gelding operation followed and he was back in much better form when third under Oisin Murphy at Kempton (7f, AW) last month, his peak effort, despite being a beaten favourite.

The sixth has since come out and bolstered that form, while the return to a mile offers the possibility of further improvement and I like his chance here

Friday racing tip 4: Ya Karim (Yarmouth, 11.30) – 2pts win @ 3/1

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