Today’s racing tips: Best bets for Catterick and Wolverhampton on Friday

There’s a big weekend to come with the Dublin Racing Festival and a quality card at Sandown ahead of us, but before attention turns to those events, let's take a look at what stands out on UK betting sites today.

A relatively small field goes to post for this 2m3f contest, in which probably all but one of the quintet can have some sort of case made on recent form.

That includes Zero Tolerance, who makes the long trip up from Evan William’s Welsh yard. He did the same in December, when he came up just a length short in third place over a shorter trip. The return to further should again see him heavily involved.

However, Rebecca Menzies, who conversely trains not far away from the North Yorkshire racecourse, saddles two for this and I like the look of the improving ALWAYS A REASON, who was improving over hurdles before being switched to chasing last time out.

Connections chose to put cheekpieces on for that first outing over fences at Newcastle (2m4f, good to soft) and he won going away. He is taken to build on that career best effort, having gone up what looks a fair 5lb for his success.

Racing tip 1: Always A Reason – 1pt win @ 6/4 (bet365)

An open looking handicap hurdle on horse racing betting sites, where nothing arrives in absolutely red hot form, presents us with an opportunity to look at unexposed potential improvers within.

With eight going to post, we have three places to play for and a small each-way wager is suggested on the Nicky Richards-trained ABBEY SCOPE.

His trainer readied him to win a Kelso bumper (good) on his racecourse debut last April and he also showed up well on his hurdling introduction, when third at Market Rasen (2m, good to soft) last November, over what was surely an inadequate trip.

I think this very shrewd trainer has a marker point from those two runs. He’s had two more outings since, being well beaten at Musselburgh (2m4f, good to soft) but then taking a step back in the right direction in an Ayr maiden hurdle last time (2m, soft).

He’s a half-brother to a 2m3f hurdle winner and a 2m4f chase winner and there’s plenty of stamina in his pedigree. He begins handicapping on a workable BHA mark of 100 and he could look well treated shortly after 14.15 on Friday.

Racing tip 2: Abbey Scope – 0.5pts each-way @ 10/3 (Unibet)

This staying handicap chase has drawn the ‘dead eight’ but it’s possible to pick holes in the form of most of them and it really could cut up once the tape rises.

Court At Slip is an obvious player for the Tim Easterby yard and he’s been putting in some respectable efforts of late, while you can’t write off the topweight, course winner Bushypark or Bo Cruz, who represents a yard that does well here.

However, I think the long trip north can pay dividends for the Christian Williams-trained FORTUNEFAVORSDBOLD. The eight-year-old mare has been largely consistent in defeat in the last year or so, though it’s fair to say her last two starts at Uttoxeter have not seen her at her best.

However, you don’t have to look back far on her CV to see that she’s pretty well handicapped again now and with Brian Hughes booked, this could be the day she’s back in pole position in the winner’s enclosure.

Racing tip 3: Fortunefavorsdbold – 1pt win @ 11/4 (Betfred)

There’s an interesting opener to Wolverhampton’s All Weather card, with Damascus Steel arriving at Dunstall Park in good nick, Eve Johnson-Houghton’s Robusto another on good terms with himself and Jodphur Blue also interesting now stepped up in trip.

CARDINAL POINT has won three times on AW surfaces, including a thumping C&D win against her own sex last time out. She now has a 5lb penalty to shoulder as a result of that career best effort but if she can get close to that level again, that extra burden may not stop her from successfully following up.

Racing tip 4: Cardinal Point – 1pt win @ 9/4 (bet365)

Yes, I know, this is bargain basement fayre but there looks to be another winning opportunity here for LHEBAYEB. Richard Price’s eight-year-old goes well here, having won twice over C&D last spring and run other good races in defeat at the track.

She’s not won here on her last three handicap starts but they’ve been respectable efforts and she’s produced a level of form that, now in this lower grade, should see her heavily involved.

She has an inside draw and is officially joint top-rated in the field. Bossy Parker might emerge as her chief opponent.

Racing tip 5:Lhebayeb (18.00, Wolverhampton) – 1pt win @ 4/1 (Ladbrokes)

If you plan to have a bet on the racing, make sure to gamble responsibly.

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