Matt Brocklebank has the best bets from around the tracks on Friday with the Nap in action at Musselburgh.
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This could boil down to something of a match between recent winners Return Fire and HAPY LA VIE, with ready preference for the latter, who looks like he could easily get his own way out in front again. That’s often a key to success around this tight circuit and James Ewart’s progressive horse looks up to defy his 8lb rise in the ratings, especially as the one he beat at Ayr last month has won twice since and gone up a total of 12lb (94 to 106) subsequently.
It’s obviously a very big day for Paul Nicholls at Newbury and I wouldn’t put it past him causing a stir with Monmiral in the feature Long Distance Hurdle, but the one to be on looks to be KALIF DU BERLAIS in the Coral Racing Club Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase. He took a fall when odds-on for his chasing debut at Carlisle earlier in the month but should have learnt a huge amount from that initial go over fences and just looks potentially thrown in on handicap debut off a mark of 135 based on the Adonis win and subsequent third to Sir Gino in the Grade 1 at Aintree in the spring. A clear round may well suffice here, with soft ground of no concern whatsoever.
Nicky Richards' Snowy Clouds is afforded respect back from a mammoth layoff, but DAVIDOC looks a much safer bet in the Magnum Ice Cream Handicap Chase. He won a point-to-point and a good-ground maiden hurdle but looks the type to make an even bigger impression over fences based on his debut run when second at Southwell earlier this month. He travelled quite keenly but jumped well in the main and should be all the wiser for the initial experience. All ground seems to come alike to the son of Davidoff and, given the way he raced early on last time, dropping back to two miles and going a stride quicker from the off shouldn’t be an issue at all. He’s backed to overcome a 1lb rise in the ratings.
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