Today’s racing tips: Best bets and odds from Doncaster and Warwick

Horse racing correspondent Jonathan Doidge takes a look at Doncaster and Warwick for today’s best racing tips

Guard Duty is fancied in the 14.15 at Doncaster (PA)

Today’s tips

• One Big Bang (13.15, Doncaster) – 1pt win @ 7/4 (bet365)
• Guard Duty (14.15, Doncaster) – 1pt win @ 6/4 (bet365)
• Mask Of Zorro (16.00, Doncaster) – 1pt win @ 4/1 (bet365)
• Excelero (14.05, Warwick) – 1pt win @ 9/4 (bet365)
• Noche Negra (15.47, Warwick) – 1pt win @ 10/1 (bet365)

A busy weekend of action begins on Friday and I’ve run the rule over the best bets from across two jumps cards with bet365 providing the best odds among betting sites.

Virgin Bet Daily Extra Places "Chasing Excellence" Novices' Chase (Doncaster, 13.15)

He may have Cheltenham odds of 100/1 for the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase but ONE BIG BANG does have ability, as he showed last time when winning by an eased down five lengths at Southwell (3m, good to soft) last time.

Aside from one mistake, this Listed chase runner-up won his race out in the country with some good jumping and stayed on well. Softer ground won’t be a problem at all and he looks to have a few pounds in hand on his chief opponent, Western Knight.

Racing tip 1: One Big Bang – 1pt win @ 7/4 (bet365)

Virgin Bet Supports Safe Gambling Handicap Hurdle (Doncaster, 14.15)

This looks competitive but I think GUARD DUTY, who really is battle hardened in these types of contest, can successfully defy topweight and pick up the £13,000 or so for first prize.

Emma Lavelle’s nine-year-old is a very consistent performer who is ideally suited to around 2m4f on soft ground. He progressed well last year and he’s not yet stopped improving, judging by his good second at Newbury in November and his latest effort at Windsor on New Year’s Day, when the ground may not have been as slow as he’d have liked.

With several others in the field that can have some sort of case made, his price on horse racing betting sites should be plenty solid enough and I think he may just have too much for them.

Racing tip 2: Guard Duty – 1pt win @ 6/4 (bet365)

Virgin Bet Handicap Hurdle (Doncaster, 16.00)

This looks a potentially trappy contest in which several have claims. I loved the attitude shown by MASK OF ZORRO last time out and I reckon Joe Tizzard’s six-year-old can again put his opponents to the sword.

Having won twice at Fontwell at around 2m4f, he stepped up to 3m at Taunton last time and just held off Square Du Roule, with the pair fully seven lengths ahead of the remainder.

Unexposed over this trip, I think a 6lb rise looks pretty fair and he is taken to defy that, having shown the ability to act on testing ground.

Racing tip 3: Mask Of Zorro – 1pt win @ 4/1 (bet365)

Betano Backing British Racing Novices' Limited Handicap Chase (Warwick, 14.05)

EXCELERO looked a novice chaser with some potential when he dotted up over this course and distance (soft) in November and a 7lb rise didn’t look likely to stop him heading into a similar race at Ascot last time.

However, he flopped inexplicably that day and, as we know, that can happen. If he bounces back to the form of that previous win, he’ll take some stopping from this 7lb higher mark, and we know he acts around here, which is a boost.

Clearly, the hat-trick seeking Jour D’Evasion has to be considered a threat but the 4lb my selection on betting apps receives from Henry Daly’s charge can hopefully prove decisive.

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

Bet 10 Get 30 At Betano Handicap Chase (Warwick, 15.47)

Another one of those races where several have claims and may feel they are reasonably well treated from their current marks. That looks very much the case with topweight NOCHE NEGRA, whose 2m4f Warwick win 13 months ago is much the best piece of form on offer here.

He was entitled to need his reappearance at Leicester, when he stepped up two grades and was never really in it but if he strips fitter for that now he could take some beating.

The Twiston-Davies team have put up the useful conditional Toby McCain-Mitchell to just take the edge in terms of weight off their runner and that can pay dividends, as he drops back slightly in class again.

Racing tip 5: Noche Negra – 1pt win @ 10/1 (bet365)

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