Lucky 15 Tips: Harry’s wild about Catterick maiden on Friday?

Always a pleasure to visit Catterick racecourse, flat or jumps, and it's to their seven-race National Hunt card that we're motoring on Friday for our Lucky 15 tips.

Evergreen former champ Brian Hughes is present, as is another previous title-holder Harry Skelton - the latter for just the one ride, for brother Dan in the opening maiden hurdle. I'm guessing that will be a shortie!

Horse Racing Odds

13:10 - Square d'Alboni @ 4/6

So to the aforementioned Team Skelton maiden, one of two on the card for the trainer, but jockey Dan's only mount.

A four-year-old French-bred gelding by a G1-winning son of Dubawi, and out of an Australia (Epsom Derby winner) mare. Beautifully bred then, and Square d'Alboni accordingly showed bags of promise on his only start thus far.

That was 16 days ago at Newbury, finishing third to a likely Cheltenham-bound novice hurdler of Nicky Henderson's, beaten 7.5l; making a mess of the second-last and well held thereafter.

These are very likely to be much calmer waters, though with so little form to go on there could be a lurker or two in the undergrowth. Newbury is a tip-top venue in terms of commencing your career and I'd like to think it's indicative of the esteem connections hold the horse in.

Anything but an encouraging win this afternoon will possibly be a shade disappointing, and he holds a Triumph Hurdle early closing entry, albeit at pretty fancy prices.

13:40 - Zero Tolerance @ 3/1

Handicap chasers now, going 2m 3f.

Our selection is Evan Williams' Zero Tolerance, a nine-year-old gelding still looking for win number one on what will be his 15th start under rules.

Several breaks have left the horse pretty lightly raced, and though no wins have yet been forthcoming, for the last 18 months or so he's been very consistent - last six form figures reading 224323.

He ran here when last seen, in mid-December, after another extended absence of 217 days. It was a belter - a rallying, one-length defeat giving everything weight, under today's jockey Conor Ring.

That was extremely encouraging, with a Gavin Cromwell raider in second, and the yard has been amongst the winners of late. Big shout.

15:13 - Fortunefavorsbold @ 15/8

Brian Hughes rides this eight-year-old Soldier Of Fortune mare for trainer Christian Williams, and after two spins since reappearing for the season in November could now be nicely tuned up for this.

Fortunefavorsbold has won three of her 27 starts under rules and in truth she's hardly a flying machine. However, this looks a modest contest and represents a real opportunity in my view to get her head in front after encouragingly being placed the last twice, both at Uttoxeter.

The booking of Hughes is seen as a major factor.

15:48 - Asa @ 11/4

Staying handicap hurdlers go 3m 1f-and-change, with our selection making the journey of about four miles from trainer Phil Kirby's base in East Appleton.

Asa is a seven-year-old mare by Balko, himself the son of an Arc-placed G1-winning cracker in Pistolet Bleu.  She's four-from-29 all told, and last time out just eight days ago signalled a massive return to form, finishing in the places beaten half-a-length at Wetherby in a slightly lower grade.

In such great heart I'm hoping connections have decided to strike again while the iron is hot and regular pilot Joe Williamson, claiming 3lb, is once again doing the steering.

She's won here previously, always a useful bonus, and at seven should still be capable of finding a little improvement, potentially.

If all four of our selections won, today's notional 50p win Lucky 15, at the prices indicated (they can of course fluctuate), would return around £120 for a £7.50 total stake. If you can improve upon my selections (of course you can) - then go for it!

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Lucky 15 tips from Betfred Insights.