Friday racing tips: Best bets for Cheltenham and Newcastle

Horse racing correspondent Jonathan Doidge brings us tips for Friday’s cards at Cheltenham and Newcastle.

Friday’s Racing Tips

• Lucky Manifest (Cheltenham, 13.10) – 1pt win @ 13/2 (bet365)
• Double Powerful (Cheltenham, 14.20) – 0.5pts each-way @ 4/1 (William Hill)
• Welonlyhavedone (Cheltenham, 15.30) – 0.5pts each-way @ 6/1 (Betway)
• Fortune De Mer (Cheltenham, 16.00) – 0.5pts each-way @ 5/1 (Unibet)
• Tedwin Hills (Newcastle, 13.55) – 1pt win @ (SP)

With the flat season now behind us, we really can begin to concentrate on jumping action for the next five months or so and what better place for us to begin doing so than at Cheltenham.

It’s the opening day of the November Meeting on Friday and we’ve got four to follow on betting sites, plus a tip for the jumps card at Newcastle.

Lycetts Insurance Brokers Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle (13.10, Cheltenham)

Having shown some promise when trained in Ireland by Kieran Purcell, LUCKY MANIFEST began to deliver on that in just two starts for James Ewart, winning the second of those by more than four lengths in a Kelso novices’ hurdle (2m5f, good) in May.

He changed hands for £25,000 shortly after that and, again, delivered the goods for current handler Tom Lacey, making significant improvement when returning to Kelso to win readily on his handicap debut (2m6½f, good) last month.

The five-year-old is very much one going the right way and despite a 9lb rise, he may still prove to be well treated and is taken to complete a hat-trick.

Cheltenham tip 1: Lucky Manifest (Cheltenham, 13.10) – 1pt win @ 13/2 (bet365)

Sun's 'Save Our Bets' Novices' Chase (14.20, Cheltenham)

This should prove to be an informative contest, with Wade Out, Leave Of Absence and DOUBLE POWERFUL all possessing untapped potential, while both One Big Bang and Isaac Des Obeaux are others likely to have better days ahead.

With regard to the last-named, we take him on with an element of caution on his first start post-wind surgery, as trainer Paul Nicholls has saddled the winner of this race four times in the last decade.

Wade Out should improve now going up in trip, while Leave Of Absence is a relentless galloper who is already proven over C&D, when scoring here last month.

However, the selection is now going up in trip himself and, as one proven over three miles over hurdles, he’ll have no problem at the usual slower pace over fences. He kept good company over hurdles last season and he patently needed further when he finished third, beaten just over two lengths, in a novices’ handicap chase here last month (2m4f, good).

He can improve now up in trip and at the prices, he looks the value play in this race. You can back him each-way on horse racing betting sites to two places, for some extra insurance.

Cheltenham tip 2: Double Powerful (Cheltenham, 14.20) – 0.5pts each-way @ 4/1 (William Hill)

Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle (15.30, Cheltenham)

Champion Bumper runner-up Heads Up is, understandably, the market leader on betting apps for this Grade 2 contest on his latest raid across the Irish Sea. It comes on the back of a debut hurdles win at Listowel in September (2m, good to yielding), when his trainer, John McConnell, hinted he’d like to send him over for this race. There are clearly bigger targets in mind but he should be capable of giving another very good account.

Those wanting to play at big odds here, I wouldn’t put you off an each-way interest on Intosomethinggood for the Twiston-Davies team, who may well outrun his current odds on horse racing betting apps.

King’s Bucks is another interesting entrant for Henry de Bromhead but it’s fellow Irish raider WELONLYHAVEDONE who gets my vote. Trained by Gavin Cromwell, the five-year-old is a point winner who easily won a Galway maiden hurdle (2m½f, yielding) last month and looked likely to follow up when falling at the last back there (2m4½f, good to yielding) under a penalty last time.

A slightly longer trip again plus this stiff uphill finish ought to suit and he looks like he could be a point or two shorter than his current 6/1. He certainly looks backable each-way, with three places to play for.

Cheltenham tip 3: Welonlyhavedone (Cheltenham, 15.30) – 0.5pts each-way @ 6/1 (Betway)

Valda Energy Novices' Handicap Hurdle (16.00, Cheltenham)

Alphonse Le Grande ran well for a long way in the Cesarewitch when last seen but he’s up 2lb for this return to hurdles and I’m scratching my head as to why he’s as short as 5/1 for this at the time of writing.

Admittedly, he does have a feather racing weight to carry but I think his price is more to do with the fact that Tony Martin trains him and the bookmakers do tend to run scared after some of his previous handicap coups.

I think he’ll be outclassed by something in this race and his stable companion Bruant, who has Sean Bowen up, will be among the candidates to do so, along with French Emperor and Lucky Prince, who can both have cases made.

A significant improver when winning last time was Katakana and I could see her being involved at the business end but, back with that class theme and I’m siding with FORTUNE DE MER.

Dan Skelton is a past master at getting one ready for the County Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival and he’s already said of this horse that the plan is to line up for that next March.

He’ll know that getting into that race off his current mark of 124 may prove a little tricky (last season’s bottom weight ran from a mark of 127), so a win here should ensure he will get a run and then, you can imagine he’ll either turn up fresh in March or, perhaps, off the back of just one more prep run.

He showed a touch of class with his Grade 2 win over C&D (good to soft; first-time hood) last month and if he’s to win a County Hurdle, then he ought to be going very close here, despite having to shoulder topweight.

Cheltenham tip 4: Fortune De Mer (Cheltenham, 16.00) – 0.5pts each-way @ 5/1 (Unibet)

Download The Racecourse App Raceday Ready Handicap Chase (13.55, Newcastle)

Perhaps not an original selection but, nonetheless, I think TEDWIN HILLS can complete a hat-trick after making the long journey to Newcastle from Warren Greatrex’s Lambourn yard.

I’ve been particularly impressed with his jumping when winning easily at Stratford (2m6½f, good) and again at Warwick (2m4f, good) last week. Even with his 7lb penalty, he’s 2lb well in based on what the handicapper is about to raise him, so now does not look like the time to desert him.

Newcastle tip: Tedwin Hills (Newcastle, 13.55) – 1pt win @ 2/1 (bet365)

Free bets for Cheltenham

BoyleSports are running their bet on last, get tomorrow promotion during this year’s November Meeting at Cheltenham with 3 x £5 free bets available to those punters who meet the qualifying requirements.

To be eligible for the free bets, bettors must wager £15 or more at odds of evens or greater on the final race of the day at Cheltenham. On Friday, the final race is the Valda Energy Novices' Handicap Hurdle (16.00) with Jonathan backing Fortune De Mer.

Whether the selection in the last goes on to win or lose, bettors will be granted a £5 free bet to use on Cheltenham the next day.

The offer is available all three days of the November Meeting, with the free bet granted from wagering on Sunday’s last race eligible for use on any sports market on BoyleSports.

Please gamble responsibly

If you plan to have a bet on Friday’s racing, make sure to gamble responsibly.

It’s vital that bettors take steps to remain in control of their time and budget when using gambling sites. The same applies whether you’re using the betting sites UK, slot sites, casino sites, casino apps, or any other gambling medium.

Even the most knowledgeable racing punter can lose a bet, so always stick to a budget and never chase your losses.

It’s particularly important not to get carried away by any free bets or casino offers you might receive, both of which are available in abundance on gambling sites, but must be approached with caution.

You can stay in control by making use of the responsible gambling tools offered, such as deposit limits, loss limits, self-exclusion and time-outs.

You may also want to visit the following free organisations to discuss any issues with gambling you might be having:

• NHS Help
• GamCare
• Gamblers Anonymous

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