Ascot Horse Racing Tips for Friday

Racing Post tipster Harry Wilson takes us through his picks for the six-race jumps card at Ascot on Friday.

Friday’s Ascot Horse Racing Betting Tips and Odds

12:45 Ascot - Champagne Twist @ 6/1
13:55 Ascot - Ryan’s Rocket @ 15/8
15:05 Ascot - Personal Ambition @ 3/1

12:45 Ascot - Champagne Twist @ 6/1

The opening handicap hurdle is just for conditional jockeys and the very capable Callum Pritchard has been enlisted to take 6lb off the Ben Pauling-trained topweight Champagne Twist.

He improved with each of his first four runs last season, including when relishing the increased stamina test to land the EBF Final at Sandown in March, a race that looked a typically strong running, but he disappointed when sent off co-favourite in a hot handicap at Aintree’s Grand National meeting on his first start outside of novice company.

He was still going well when coming down three out in a very strong handicap at Cheltenham’s November meeting on his reappearance and, if none the worse for his fall, he should still prove well handicapped off what is effectively just 1lb higher than for his last win.

This return to a right-handed track might help, too.

13:55 Ascot - Ryan’s Rocket @ 15/8

I wasn’t overly impressed with likely favourite Iberico Lord’s jumping on his chasing debut last time and he didn’t beat much there either, so he looks ripe to be taken on in the novice handicap chase with Ryan’s Rocket.

Nicky Henderson’s charge has to concede weight all round and the improving Ryan’s Rocket, who will be in receipt of 16lb, comes here off the back of a taking win at Chepstow last month.

Winner of an Irish point in October 2022, he won twice over hurdles, giving Manuelito (now rated 121) 10lb and a three-and-three-quarter-length beating at Taunton in March before getting the better of last week’s impressive Cheltenham scorer Mirabad (now rated 130) to the tune of five and a half lengths off level weights in May.

He was far too keen to do himself justice when upped in class in the Persian War Novices’ Hurdle on his reappearance but got back on track when given the perfect introduction to chasing last month at Chepstow, where he jumped well in the main before asserting on the run.

He surely has plenty left in the tank, so a 7lb rise might just underestimate him.

15:05 Ascot - Personal Ambition @ 3/1

The feature race on the card is the Grade 2 Howden Noel Novices’ Chase, which has a mix of two-milers (Remittance Man; Simonsig; Politilogue) and stayers (Le Mercurey; Vinndication; Angels Breath) on its roll of honour.

A similar theme emerges here with Johnnywho, who ran in the Albert Bartlett at the Cheltenham Festival last season, taking on three horses who have largely plied their trade over two miles.

He’s respected as the highest-rated runner in the field, but he looked outpaced over this sort of trip in a strong race at Newbury last time and may find things happening too quickly on lively enough ground, so Personal Ambition is preferred.

He got the better of last week’s impressive Cheltenham scorer Jango Baie in a Grade 2 at Kelso in March and has looked to be crying out for this longer trip after respectable efforts in a pair of chases over two miles.

He’ll need to improve, but he has untapped potential over this sort of distance and should be better suited by this right-handed course, having jumped to his right at Newbury last time.

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.