Daryl Carter's Tips: 2/1 Dreaming of a bright start to the week for Varian at Thirsk

• Handicap debutant

• Eye-catching jockey booking

• Midnight's Dream must be better than this lot

16:20 Thirsk - Back Midnight's Dream @ 2/13.00 1pt

I firmly expect the returning Midnight's Dream - 2/13.00 on the Betfair Sportsbook - to be all the rage on his handicap debut, and with a pedigree that suggests he should be much better than this grade, he is difficult to oppose with great confidence.

The Roger Varian horse is returning from 114 days off the track, which suggests something wasn't right during the middle part of the season. However, his three qualifying runs offer excellent promise from this low rating of 70 in Class 5 company, and Varian has had a 26% strike rate at Thirsk in the past five years.

The booking of Silvestre De Sousa is eye-catching. The duo have a 22% strike rate this season and have been profitable £9 to a £1 level stake for backers. Throw in an inside draw to gain a prominent position, and he is very tough to ignore, considering there is a massive potential angle over nearly all of his exposed rivals.

Declan Carroll's three-year-old Woodleigh is not done improving, but he will need things to drop right. He also returns from a short absence.

It's very tough to find valid alternatives to Midnights Dream, who caught the eye behind an owner-mate at Salisbury when last seen over a trip too short, and his previous efforts saw him ridden with handicaps in mind. I expect De Sousa to be aggressive.

I am pleasantly surprised he is available as big as 2/13.00 with the Sportsbook. Back the selection at 13/82.63 or bigger.

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