Friday ITV Racing Tips: Mark Milligan with three to back at up to 9/1

• French raider the day's best bet

• Top weight can take Welsh National

• Frero Banbou still well handicapped

13:40 Chepstow - Back Nietzsche Has

The post-Christmas action continues unabated on ITV on Friday and we've got excellent action again from Kempton along with the Welsh National meeting from Chepstow.

It's to Wales we head first, where the French challenger Nietzsche Has looks to have plenty in hand of his rivals in this 2m Grade 2 hurdle and seems sure to take all the beating.

Marcel Rolland's juvenile made an impressive start to life over hurdles, winning his first three starts, including the Group 3 Prix Aguado at Auteuil in May, and he ran a cracker when second at the top level on his most recent start at the same track.

He's up against some lightly raced types here who could well be open to improvement, but they've all got a long way to go to match the level of form already shown by the Gallic raider.

James Owen's Opec is probably the major hope of the home team, and she's been nicely progressive since falling on her debut at Market Rasen in the spring, recording a hat-trick of successes after that blip.

However, her current 123 Timeform rating compared to the selection's 145 gives you a fair idea of how far she's got to continue to improve to serve it up to him.

14:50 Chepstow - Back Fontaine Collonges each-way

Regular readers of this column will know I've got a lot of time for Galia Des Liteaux, and she was my first port of call when beginning to assess the Welsh National, as this has presumably been her target since the season began.

However, she was a tad disappointing in the Coral Gold Cup last time and her current price of 5/16.00 on the Sportsbook doesn't exactly scream value.

She's a thorough stayer who could well bounce back from that below-par effort, but at a bigger price I'm going to chance Fontaine Collonges, who does have to shoulder top weight but also gets the benefit of Ned Fox taking off 3lb.

Venetia Williams still has her team in decent form and this nine-year-old mare was better than ever when winning on her comeback run at Haydock last month.

She had plenty in hand that day and a repeat of that performance should see her go well once again, even though the handicapper has had his say by bumping her up 8lb.

With five places available on the Sportsbook, an each-way play at 9/110.00 is probably the best option.

15:08 Kempton - Back Frero Banbou

Over at Kempton, all eyes will be on Ballyburn vs Sir Gino earlier in the day in the Wayward Lad Novices' Chase, and if that doesn't set the pulse racing I don't know what will!

However, it makes little appeal to me from a betting perspective and my only wager on the card will be in this 3m handicap chase, where I'm hoping Venetia Williams can land a quickfire cross-card double with Frero Banbou.

The nine-year-old shaped as if needing the run on his first start back from a break at Aintree but made no mistake a couple of weeks later when he was sent to Newcastle for the Rehearsal Chase.

He'd slid to a really good mark there and was breaking a losing run stretching back around three years and, now he's back in the groove, I'm hoping he can make hay from a mark that still looks to have some juice in it.

Frero Banbou goes off 134 here, but it's worth noting he finished second in a good Cheltenham handicap last season from 6lb higher, so he's still got some leeway when it comes to the assessor.

Conditions will be fine and not too many come here at the top their games currently, with Venetia Williams' charge a notable exception.

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