Friday Horse Racing Tips: James Mackie has a pair of selections on Friday

• James Mackie has two selections on Friday from Wetherby

• Harel Du Marais can make it a hat-trick

• Blue Hop can get back to winning ways on drying ground

• We are now NRNB on the 2025 Grand National

15:00 Wetherby - Back Harel Du Marais @ 5/42.25

Harel Du Marais has really turned a corner since moving stables to Charles and Adam Pogson falling down the handicap and has taken full advantage of that of late.

The gelding has took plenty of time to reach his potential having time with Stuart Crawford and Mark Walford but joing this new partnership seems to have done the trick.

Dropping to a mark of 95 for his debut for the stable at Southwell on good to soft ground, he scooted clear close home to record the first success of his career under rules.

Striking whilst the iron was hot just two weeks later over the same C&D off 5lb higher, he went on to bolt up Sean Bowen, winning with any amount in hand.

The key to this horse looks to be quick ground and confidence and turning him out again on preferred ground, in a week race just 7lbs higher should not be  to stop his progression for this yard.

This looks a weak affair and he rates as the best of the day on Friday.

15:32 Wetherby - Back Blue Hop @ 11/26.50

Quickly moving on to the next race on the Wetherby card and Blue Hop for the Ben Brookhouse team looks like he has been given a good opportunity to get back to winning ways.

Three starts ago at Windsor he showed signs that he was getting back to form when giving weight to the winner over 2m4f and running well in defeat.

The step up in trip at Doncaster next time out was the making of him when recording his first success since February 2024.

He went on to win going away off a mark of a 107 in a competitive 17 runner affair giving him plenty of experience.

Upped 6lb for that win in a much better race at Ascot, he ran a cracker from the front to finish second behind the well handicapped Samuel Spade, who picked up the pieces late on. It was reported after the race that he lost his right fore shoe which tells you that you can upgrade that run.

Up another 3lb for this event, the slight drop in trip is a negative but if being ridden prominently from the front he might not see another rival and the drying ground should only enhance his chances.

He could still be better than his mark of 116 but Jacovec Cavern with Danny Mullins aboard and Crazierthanadaisy are the worries.

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