Horse Racing Tips: Back Al to show some class in Friday 18/1 double

• Classy Al at 4/15.00 starts Friday's double

• Easterby can conjure up a win with Profiteer at Thirsk

• Alan Dudman has a 20/121.00 Sportsbook multiple on Friday

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Musselburgh - 14:50: Back Classy Al @ 15/44.75

Trainer Jim Goldie is well represented at Musselburgh and he has plenty of serious chances and should add to his season tally of 5-35 at 35%.

I am hoping one of those will be Classy Al, he's often called a tricky customer, which is sometimes kind, but I'm overlooking that rather uncharitable appellation for a win today.

He's a hold-up horse who needs speed to aim at having spent the majority of his career over further, and considering he raced over 7f last term, he's done quite well in 2024 being modelled by Goldie as a 5f runner.

Speed is likely to come from Ecclesiastical, who can also travel well, but Classy Al ran over CD on his first run of the season in a stronger race where he finished, and while given too much to do in that (far too much), it was fair effort for his first run of the season.

He got off the mark over 5f at Ayr in May off 67, a race which saw him finish strongly.

Expect more of the same today and he should trade higher in the run, but he's only 3lb higher than his Ayr win and he's better than what we saw at Hamilton last time where he was turned over as favourite.

Thirsk - 15:10: Back Profiteer @ 3/14.00

Profiteer has been fairly consistent this season and won at the track over 7f in May for his first career success, and since then has picked up a couple of seconds.

One of his silver medals came at Nottingham last time, but he went off too hard making the running and was picked off by a strong traveller.

A bit more finesse will serve him better.

He was placed second at Catterick in soft conditions earlier this season, and while it was soft and quite testing, he looks a better horse with some decent ground, and rated 56, he does have a bit more potential to get into the 60s.

Easterby has sent out an astonishing 206 three-year-olds on the turf this season with a 9% return - and while not a massive strike-rate, he often will have 20 runners in one weekend alone.

Now read Daryl Carter's tips for Friday here!