Friday Horse Racing Tips: Mark Milligan's three best bets at prices up to 16/1

• Opening selection looks very well handicapped

• Mullins over from Ireland for Mark's best bet

• Improver young sprinter to go in at Goodwood

13:30 Sandown - Back Faustus E/W @ 16/1

On the face of it, Faustus looks like a sprinter out of form, but I think there are sound reasons for thinking he's in better nick than it looks at first glance.

Rachel Cook & John Bridger's seven-year-old usually takes a few runs to come to hand in any case and he wasn't seen to anything like best effect at Goodwood last time, possibly finding the race coming too soon after just four days off and also racing closer to a strong pace than ideal.

Prior to that he'd shaped as if about to come good when fourth at Windsor and the handicapper has been quick to drop him a few pounds following that defeat last time.

The selection is now lower in the weights than for both of his wins last season and he's a seriously well-handicapped horse if back in the sort of nick that saw him win at Nottingham and Newbury.

Hollie Doyle taking back over in the saddle after Faustus was ridden by a 7lb claimer last time is another plus point and he makes plenty of each-way appeal at 16/117.00.

13:40 Chester - Back Profit Refused @ 15/8

This is an interesting amateur riders' handicap featuring some of best jockeys in that particular field, such as Patrick Mullins, Eireann Cagney and Jody Townend.

Patrick Mullins is the name that really catches the eye, and he's landed the plum draw in stall one on Profit Refused for the Ollie Sangster stable.

This one has spent most of her career running in Ireland in better races than this and made an immediate impact for her current yard when landing a Wetherby handicap over this 7f trip in April. She was probably a bit stretched by stepping up slightly in distance when only third of four at Lingfield last time and the drop back to a sharp 7f should very much play to her strengths.

The selection is an uncomplicated sort who can be positioned either on the lead or just off it, and that should enable her to get a decent trip around the inside under one of the best amateurs in the sport.

Of the opposition, Townend's mount WobWobWob may emerge as one of the biggest threats. He was unable to show what he could do last time after his rider lost his irons early and he's lurking on a dangerous mark.

19:50 Goodwood - Back Priapos @ 7/4

This will be a fast and furious 5f sprint handicap for three-year-olds and Ralph Beckett's Priapos strikes as open to plenty of improvement with his seasonal return under his belt.

Off the mark on debut at Windsor last season, the son Zoustar didn't really go on after that, but did have excuses for a couple of below-par efforts and he seemed to return as a better horse with a winter under his belt.

There was plenty of encouragement in his recent Ascot return, where he finished third in a big-field handicap that's beginning to look very solid form. The winner has gone in again since, while the fifth also came out and won subsequently.

Priapos himself ran really well in third despite shaping as if lacking peak fitness and any step forward from that will make him very tough to beat in here.  The seasoning he got from being up against 15 rivals can only help, too, while the booking of good-value 7lb claimer Jack Dace adds to the appeal.

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