Friday Racing Tips: A Bright bet at Newmarket for Tony Calvin

We have been spoiled all week by plenty of runners (well, in the handicaps, anyway) and class galore at Punchestown, and it is fair to say Friday's ITV cards at Newmarket and Goodwood suffer somewhat in comparison.

There were only 72 entries at the five-day stage for those seven ITV races, so I suppose they didn't do too badly to get the numbers they have, so let's get our heads down and find a bet.

Shine So Bright catches the eye at Newmarket

I better start with Newmarket as all of the races at the three-day meeting there, bar the two Guineas, are being sponsored by the good ship Betfair, though in truth it was always odds-against one of the three small-field conditions' races would have me reaching for the back button.

As I have said in a previous column, we really should stop focusing on the pitiful fields and make the best of it, as nothing will change for the foreseeable - that said, when a Newmarket card gets seven races attracting declarations of 8-4-5-7-6-7-5, your head does swirl at what is further coming down the line - and we do have some potentially smart animals on show.

I won't bore you with no-bet chat in those races though and, while the 7f handicap at 15.00 has been reduced from 14 to seven, I think we have a bet in the shape of Shine So Bright.

He was never going to be too flash a price, given the numbers, but he does have a lot going for him and we really could be in business if the first-time hood gets him back on track.

The stable's record of 7-139 since 2010 with this headgear try is not impressive - as evidenced by Alcohol Free's run last week, too - but I can see the angle of trying it on this keen sort.

He pretty much had a 2021 to forget after being touched off by a head off a 2lb higher mark than this first time up at Lingfield, but at least he returns to the scene of two of his better efforts - a Free Handicap win and a Guineas sixth, both in 2019 - on a very attractive mark of just 98.

He has a very fair record when fresh, and he is worth chancing.

As regular readers will know, I pay little or no attention to jockeys - when people start criticizing as well as praising riders I may start listening - but everyone seems to be raving about 7lb claimer Harry Davies at the moment, so let's see what he has got in his locker.

Back Shine So Bright at 4.03/1 win-only on the Betfair Sportsbook. I would hope you get bigger, as 3s would be the lowest acceptable price for me.

Lihou has conditions to impress

The only race that interests me at Goodwood is, unsurprisingly, the 10-runner 5f handicap at 14:40.

Mokaatil has an obvious chance under his 4lb penalty for his Epsom win under the aforementioned Harry Davies - he is 2lb well-in here - but this is just his new rider's third lifetime ride on a tricky track, so that would worry me.

Last year's runner-up Stone Of Destiny has an obvious chance after a good return at Newmarket last time (well, his first run since Meydan in January, anyway) but the one I like is the horse that finished behind him in last year's five-runner renewal, Lihou.

He finished a 2 ½-length fourth off a 12lb higher mark then, so he is certainly handicapped to do some damage if back to form.

On the face of it, his run after a break over 6f at Wolverhampton promised little, but that is not his trip and he didn't do himself any favours by pulling too hard early doors, so I reckon that was a tee-up job.

Hopefully, back to 5f and with a first-time visor on, we will see him to better effect.

David Evans' recent record with this headgear switch is 17-137, and that is better than his usual all-in strike rate. That is a very good sign, as is the fact that the horse is drawn nine of 10 near the rail, and I would expect him to try to grab the fence and go from the front. Some of his best efforts have come from forcing rides.

His only other run at the track was a good third off a 2lb higher mark than this in September 2020 and, while it is annoying that he is 2lb out of the handicap here, I think he has a big run in him.

Back him at 13.012/1 or bigger. The first firm up on Wednesday made him 16s, and that looked very big to me. He is also 12/1 with the Sportsbook if you want to back him there if you wanted to get matched straight away, or to back him each way.

I did consider Stone Of Destiny as a saver - that one opened up 15/2 in a place on Wednesday morning - but I will rely on Lihou for tipping purposes. I may chuck a few quid on Stone Of Destiny at 6/1+ personally.