Lucky 15 Tips: Mullins novice fronts Friday’s four

Racing fans can look forward to an action-packed Friday, with eight meetings scheduled throughout the afternoon and into the evening.

My Lucky 15 tips includes selections at Thirsk, Wexford and Down Royal - the strongest being a Willie Mullins-trained novice who appears at the latter.

13:40 Thirsk - Hot Dancer @ 2/1

The first leg of my Lucky 15 for Friday is Charlie Johnston's HOT DANCER in the opener - a two-year-old novice even tover a mile - at Thirsk.

After defying greenness to finish a staying-on second on his debut over half a furlong shorter at Chester earlier this month, the Too Darn Hot colt rates a likely improver second time out.

He holds an entry for the G2 Royal Lodge Stakes at Newmarket next month and if connections are going to roll the dice, he ought to beat what, at least on paper, looks a modest field.

14:45 Thirsk - Cuban Tiger @ 7/2

Just over an hour later in North Yorkshire is a 0-100 handicap over seven furlongs which can go to CUBAN TIGER.

Karl Burke's three-year-old son of Havana Grey made his belated debut during the first week of the year and instantly broke his duck, before going on to claim Listed honours just a couple of months later.

Since then it's not been plain sailing, but he's emerged with great credit from competitive handicaps at York and Goodwood the last twice and now, off an unchanged mark of 93 and in an 'easier' race, he looks ready to make his mark.

17:50 Down Royal - Sysko @ 1/1

If the former two tips are successful, I'll be getting a little excited heading into this 2m4f maiden hurdle for SYSKO is the strongest of my four fancies.

Willie Mullins spoke very highly about the four-year-old gelding heading into his Irish debut at the Galway Festival last month, but he was very weak in the market and could 'only' finish 4/13, 11 lengths off the winner.

That's decent form in the context of Friday's affair, however. I'd say it's as good as anything main market rival How About No has achieved and given connections, you can bet there's more to come from the selection.

He's not going to open a fancy price, but he's a confident choice.

18:15 Wexford - Common Practice @ 3/1

Finally, I'm going for Joseph O'Brien's COMMON PRACTICE in this novice chase over 2m3½f which, if you're more of a jumps fan like myself, is race of the day material.

All six runners have solid claims, but it's JP McManus' second-string - going off the presence of Mark Walsh on Magic Tricks - who makes the most appeal to me.

The Gleneagles gelding made his debut over fences here at Wexford in a beginners' event over the minimum trip earlier this summer and absolutely bolted up by eight lengths.

This is a step up in class, but he's only a five-year-old with a lot more to offer in this new discipline so he gets the verdict.

As a guide, a 50p (£7.50 total stake) Lucky 15 on today's selections at the quoted prices would return around £164 if all four won.

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