Friday Racing Tips: Thirsk pair to make their mark at decent prices

Ffos Las, 14:00, 5f Handicap Tip: Back Forever Glamorous @ 2/13.00

4 (3)

Forever Glamorous

• J: Gina Mangan
• T: Christopher Mason
• F: 236-23513

• SBK 2/1
• EXC 3.2

Gina Mangan and Chris Mason have been almost lethal in Wales this term in sprints. Chepstow has been a happy hunting ground, so too Ffos Las and the rider is 3-13 at 23% this season with Mason 3-7 at the track at 42%.

Forever Glamorous may only be rated 57, but he's holding his form well and scored from the front back in June over CD on good ground with the first-time cheekpieces, and that's the way these Mason sprinters roll.

Rain is forecast, at last, but he ran well enough on good to soft at Chepstow earlier in the season when finishing third to a well-backed fav.

Not many in this race are exactly in form and as a three-year-old, Forever Glamorous has a bit of consistency which is worth a few extra pounds at this sort of level.

Thirsk, 16:00, 6f Handicap Tip: Back Topwarrior EW five places @ 18/119.00

1 (11)

Topwarrior

• J: Callum Rodriguez
• T: Ralph Beckett
• F: 20P201-00

• SBK 18/1
• EXC 28

A cracking handicap over 6f here with 20 runners for the each-way options, and I couldn't quite believe my mince pies when seeing 20 in the field. With that; we have five places on the Sportsbook and the 20s were taken into 18s on Thursday evening.

Anyasi might take a fair bit of stopping as a Roger Varian handicap debutant and two-out-of-two dropped down to sprinting and the 10/34.33 probably isn't a bad price but I am tempted with going each-way here.

The favourite is off 90 and has form in soft going so rain will not be any sort of issue.

However, I am keen on seeing a better effort from Ralph Beckett's Topwarrior.

In two runs this term he has bombed out. He flopped on his return at Epsom at the start of the season in a strong handicap that saw Sondad make his mark, but Topwarrior only beat one home.

He was a subsequent 40/141.00 poke on the All-Weather at Newcastle and again was nearer last than first, but both runs this term have been in Class 2 company and dropping down slightly with top weight gives him a better chance.

The other factor I am gambling on here is rain.

He ploughed through the mud at Newbury last October in heavy, but won easily in a Class 3 by 2L and it was fairly evident he's a big old unit with a neck like a giraffe and his finishing effort was far too strong from a finish speed of 95%.

Down 2lbs, he can now compete at a level more suitable and we just hope that it pours down.

Beckett doesn't have many runners at Thirsk, but his five-year record is 5-22 at a tick over 22%.

Thirsk, 16:38 7f Handicap Tip: Back Invictus Gold EW four places @ 11/112.00

2 (2)

Invictus Gold (Ire)

• J: Cieren Fallon
• T: Tom Clover
• F: 055-39280

• SBK 15/2
• EXC 11.5

Another decent race and a Class 2 with a decent sized field, and rain again potentially comes into play with Invictus Gold.

His run behind Sondad (him again) at Epsom in soft and horrid conditions over 6f is a standout effort this term.

He was giving 7lbs to Sondad which wasn't ideal and the pace was wild and manic with a finishing speed of 95%, but off 99 on that occasion, he has a tiny bit of remorse from the handicapper by lowering him a whole 1lb.

The 7f might improve him as he's been struggling to cut it against good sprinters over shorter this term, but he took apart a field at Newmarket and thrashed American Style last year in a Class 2, so there's ability there.

Again with the extra place angle we go with four spots here at a double-figure price.

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