Antepost Racing Tips: Four bets for Friday and Saturday including 10/1 weekend pair

Friday, 13:50, Sandown, Esher Cup Handicap - Back Nobody Knows @ 7/24.50 

Some good prices have been placed for the latest two antepost columns, including Saturday each-way pick Whip Cracker for Richard Hughes, who gaining third spot in Newbury's Spring Cup at the advised 14/115.00. Rather astonishingly he drifted out to 28/129.00 and returned a BSP of over 46.

Hughes, the acme of ace riding, is making a good fist of this training gig and his horse, Nobody Knows, places his perfect two-from-two record on the line against John Gosden's Organise in the Esher Cup on Friday. Of the two, Nobody Knows is the one for me at 7/24.50.

He actually holds an Irish Derby entry, so the trip angle to consider here of sticking to 1m is interesting.

His performance winning a novice at Wolverhampton gladdened the eye as he moved stylishly from off the pace and ate the ground up on the outside rapidly to beat Sintra with ease, flowing past him like a cape of Rick Wakeman. He didn't exactly look short of speed as he looped the field on the outside - in the process clocking the three fastest sectional furlongs three out, two out and one out.

A debut win at Ayr was equally stylish on soft and a fair bit was obviously expected for that as he was sent off 5/42.25 in the betting.

A price of 7/24.50 for a handicap debut mark of 89 looks worth taking and we can find out if there is a really good horse there.

Friday, 14:05, Perth, Highland National Handicap Chase - Back President Scottie EW @ 12/113.00

Another Friday selection for a terrific week at Perth. I am always interested in a regional "Nash" more so now with my twitter horse President Scottie who is a selection at 12/113.00..

He was last seen running on Finals Day at Carlisle last month and it was the jump midway through that race I tweeted a picture of where he took off from what seemed about 200 yards away. It was either foolhardy or brave but it was erratic behaviour at odds with the calm and cool schooling of jumpers of Nicky Richards. It really was some take-off.

That was in response to Paddy O'Mahler falling in front of him at the previous fence, and he has been a little unlucky in his races to date. That has given us a dropping mark of 110, a full 10lbs lower than November's 120 figure and he has been lowered a further 2lb.

Last winter he was rated 125 over hurdles, so the mark is too attractive to turn down at a double-figure price.

Saturday, 14:05, Leicester, Caffreys Black Stout King Richard III Cup Handicap - Back Khafiz EW @ 10/111.00

A rare sortie to Leicester for the column and indeed for me and a case of "faute de mieux" (translation "for lack of anything better") is applied for one of the track's better races, the King Richard III Cup.

Twenty are in at the declaration stage and my selection Khafiz also holds an entry for Haydock and a 7f Handicap on the card on Merseyside.

The four-year-old looked a novice with a bright future when winning at Doncaster and Kempton last year but disappointed a little soon after, albeit tried in a Group 3 at Deauville. He flopped in a handicap at Ayr in a 0-100 but bounced back to end his season on a higher note with a fine third at Doncaster. That was in heavy going and the finishing speed of 96% indicated a thorough test over 7f, and while he was only one of three to break 14 seconds in the final furlong.

He has raced over 7f and 1m with previous trainer Roger Varian, and this is a first start over 6f (if he takes his chance for Ed Bethell) and he is a shorter price for Leicester than Haydock.

Saturday, 14:35, Haydock, William Hill Epic Boosts Handicap - Back Sarab Star EW @ 10/111.00

Sarab Star is a horse I've followed this winter with nice wins at Kempton and Wolverhampton over 7f but the gamble of dropping down in distance at Newcastle on Finals Day backfired and he ran no sort of race, finishing way behind Wiltshire.

He usually races prominently and up with the pace and a return to a nice flat 7f going left-handed at Haydock really will suit him.

In March he was picked off late by Mount Athos at Kempton, in a race he always wins. That was a smart race with the winner scoring off 104 and the fact that Sarab Star recorded a faster final furlong than the three-figure rated winner and the 7f at a track like Haydock is not to be dismissed.

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