Friday Racing Tips: Key Timeform data including a Horse In Focus

• Leave of Absence has an edge on Timeform ratings

• Rockola Vogue can build on promising Wetherby run

• Longer trip to suit Murphy's Milan

• We are now NRNB on the 2025 Grand National

Leave of Absence potentially well treated for handicap debut

Leave of Absence is appropriately named given he hasn't made it to the track very often for an eight-year-old, but he showed plenty of ability in bumpers and over hurdles for Chris Gordon in his younger days and has been runner-up in both his chases this season for Anthony Honeyball.

That profile doesn't make him the easiest to assess, but he seemingly put up a useful effort to run last season's Greatwood and Betfair Hurdle winner Iberico Lord close when they were the only two finishers in a beginners chase at Kempton in November. Upped in trip and grade, Leave of Absence was runner-up in another small field nearly three months later in the Reynoldstown Novices' Chase at Ascot, finishing a remote second to The Changing Man who has run well since at the Cheltenham Festival.

Running in his first handicap here (14:30), a BHA mark of 127 could well be on the lenient side as Leave of Absence takes a drop in grade and he's very much of interest from a handy 4 lb clear in the Timeform weight-adjusted ratings. 

'Horse In Focus' Rockola Vogue caught the eye last time

It might be the start of 'Go North' weekend at Musselburgh but one prize that could be going south is the final of the mares' handicap hurdle series (15:50). Fellow Cotswold raider All The Glory at the top of the weights puts most of her rivals out of the handicap, but Rockola Vogue is one of those on her correct mark and can win this for David Killahena and Graeme McPherson.

Whilst not the biggest, her consistency is hard to knock as she has yet to finish out of the money and has progressed with each run over hurdles since winning a bumper at Worcester last summer. She got off the mark over hurdles at Hexham in October and shaped very well on her handicap debut at Wetherby last time.

Returning from three months off, Rockola Vogue did well to be beaten less than two lengths at the line behind all-the-way winner Our Bill's Aunt having still had plenty to do leaving the back straight. That earned Rockola Vogue the 'Horse In Focus' flag, and while there's still room for improvement in her jumping, she heads the Timeform weight-adjusted ratings with further improvement to come.

Stiffer test should suit likely improver Murphy's Milan

Philip Hobbs & Johnson White landed a double at Newbury late last month and can be among the winners there again with the lightly-raced Murphy's Milan in the three-mile handicap hurdle (16:37).

Out of a mare who won at up to three miles over hurdles in Ireland and was a half-sister to the Foxhunter winner Zemsky, Murphy's Milan shaped like the stayer he's bred to be when third in a bumper on his debut at Exeter last spring. There was then further encouragement from his two runs in maiden hurdles at Chepstow in the autumn, finishing fourth both times and clearly learning all the while.

Given a break since, connections are taking advantage of his eligibility for handicaps after just those two runs over hurdles and Murphy's Milan looks sure to be suited by stepping up to three miles for the first time. With likely improvement for the greater test of stamina denoted by the Timeform 'small p', he's also top of the Timeform weight-adjusted ratings.

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