Horse Racing Tips: James Mackie's two to follow on Friday at Wexford and Haydock

17:16 Wexford - Back Chosen Shant @ 15/82.88

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Chosen Shant (Ire)

• J: Phillip Enright
• T: Aengus King, Ireland
• F: 56-743712

• SBK 15/8
• EXC 3.2

The first selection of the afternoon comes from Ireland in the Mares Handicap Hurdle over 2m1f and Chosen Shant at the top of the market should prove remarkably hard to beat, at a track she absolutely loves.

The mare is not getting any younger at the age of 10, but she retains her ability at this level, especially at Wexford where she has won twice over hurdles and once over fences in her career.

Last year Chosen Shant went on to win this race in fine style off a mark of 91. She went on to dot up by 10 lengths and although she has a higher mark to contest with today it looks as though she has been set up for this event all year.

Having won this event last year, she went up in the handicap and could not compete at a higher level. The plan to me looks to have been waiting for this one day with her, back at her favoured track and today is the day.

She bounced back to form in a big way at the end of June when winning for the first time since July at Wexford in a handicap chase off a lowly mark of 85. Last time out at the same track off 6lbs higher she finished a narrow second to a fair enough horse in Farrokh for Barry Connell.

With two decent runs now under her belt and now sent back hurdling into the race she won last year, although harbouring top weight I think she could prove very tough to beat with the standard of opposition not up to much at all.

She is a better hurdler than she is chaser and should take all the beating today.

20:38 Haydock - Back Tokyo Joe @ 2/13.00

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Tokyo Joe

• J: Tom Marquand
• T: Ed Walker
• F: 35821-641

• SBK 5/2
• EXC 3.7

It is great to see racing back at Haydock after a long hiatus and in the lucky last Tokyo Joe for the Ed Walker team still looks very well handicapped in a race like today with top jockey Tom Marquand booked to ride.

A winner at Lingfield in December to get off the mark for his career, he then returned in May this season at Ascot in a competitive 18 runner handicap where he ran a respectable race back in sixth off the back of a break over 6f, which maybe is not his best trip.

Sent into another big fielded competitive handicap at York in June he kept on well over the 7f to finish a narrow fourth behind some seasoned handicappers off a mark of 70. He then was dropped another 1lb and got off the mark for the season at Ffos Las when dropped in class to justify favouritism.

Tokyo Joe has only gone back up 1lb for that run to a mark of 70 and both the placed horses that day have since gone on to frank the form and win. He looks to still be improving in this company and having been leniently dealt with by the handicapper he can make it two wins on the spin for a yard in fine form.

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