Free horse racing tips: Simon Holt previews Lingfield and Newmarket on Friday
Top commentator Simon Holt has three bets for Friday's action at Newmarket and Lingfield including two at HQ in the handicaps.
Recommended Bets
1pt e.w Total Commitment in 1.50 Newmarket at 14/1
1pt e.w Brighton Pier in 3.50 Lingfield at 6/1
2pts win Silent Echo in 5.55 Newmarket at 4/1
For details of advised bookmakers and each-way terms, visit our transparent tipping record
Friday's action at Newmarket includes the re-routed (from Epsom) Group One Hurworth Bloodstock Coronation Cup which has attracted a mouth-watering line-up which includes the imposing Ghaiyyath, last year's winner Defoe, last year's Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck and the star stayer Stradivarius who drops back in trip in preparation for another crack at the Gold Cup in a fortnight's time.
It should be a fascinating contest but looks difficult to call.
One trainer with Royal Ascot on his horizon is Peter Hedger who runs his two best horses on the card with the aim of achieving a high enough rating to guarantee qualification in the Wokingham and beyond.
The 95-rated SILENT ECHO ran well in both the Wokingham and the Stewards Cup off higher marks in 2018 before injury intervened, but came back well on the all-weather during the winter and can defy top weight back on grass in the first division of the Read Andrew Balding On Betway Insider handicap at 5.55.
The six-year-old son of Oasis Dream won at Windsor off a 1lb higher mark before going to the Royal meeting where he stayed on strongly into fifth behind Bacchus, beaten about two lengths off a rating of 101.
A return to that sort of form should see him hard to beat here under Jim Crowley.
TOTAL COMMITMENT also races off 95 in the Betway Handicap at 1.50 and has finished second three times at Lingfield behind the progressive types Fizzy Feet (twice) and Harry's Bar.
Trained by Roger Charlton last season, the four-year-old was an improving six-furlong sprinter, winning on the July Course at Newmarket before scoring twice at Kempton in October.
This galloping course may well suit Total Commitment better than the relatively sharp layout at Lingfield and, at double figure odds in the hands of Ben Curtis, he could be worth an each-way interest.
Meanwhile, it's trials day at Lingfield on Friday and the course will be hoping for a repeat of last year's results which saw the Oaks Trial (Annapurna) and Derby Trial (Anthony Van Dyke) winners go on to win at Epsom.
Harry Dunlop enjoyed success in the Betsafe Derby Trial with Knight To Behold in 2018 and has an interesting contender this time in wide-margin Wolverhampton winner Pride Of America.
The son of American Post looks a nice prospect but has plenty to find on the ratings against a few of his rivals, while there has been much talk of English King (whose Newcastle win in November was given a small boost by third-placed Galsworthy at Kempton on Tuesday) becoming a Classic contender.
Later, Dunlop may have better chances with BRIGHTON PIER in the BG Racing Syndicates Handicap at 3.50.
This son of Farhh shaped well in two starts late on last year, building on a promising debut fourth at Kempton to win at Wolverhampton in resolute fashion by a length and a half from Sharp Suited with a gap of seven lengths back to the third.
Sharp Suited went on to boost that form when scoring at Newcastle a week later, and Brighton Pier looks open to a good deal more.
Posted at 1720 BST on 04/06/20
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