Ffos Las Tips: Patriotik can score on home soil

There are six meetings across Britain and Ireland on Tuesday, with the jumps card from Ffos Las amongst them. They race at the Welsh venue from 14:25-17:35 with seven races in total, and conditions are forecast to be 'soft-good to soft in places'.

My Ffos Las tips for Tuesday includes previous course winner Patriotik for trainer Evan Williams on what could be a profitable afternoon for the Welsh handler.

14:25 – Patriotik @ 5/2

The action from Ffos Las begins with a novices' hurdle over 2m6f and while last-time-out winners Carrigmoorna Rowan and Magical Escape are obvious contenders, they are overlooked in favour of the third penalised contender, PATRIOTIK, for Evan and Isabel Williams.

The five-year-old gelding arrived in Britain off the back of a point-to-point win in Ireland in January and duly opened his account at the second time of asking over hurdles, scoring here over 2m4f (heavy) in late March by some eight-lengths from Tommys Charm, with the rest of his rivals strung out behind.

He's since taken in a pair of 2m novice hurdles at this venue, running well to be third and second. Last time, he made most of the running but was powerless to hold the Willie Mullins-trained winner, Rath Gaul Boy as the Irishman targeted wins on UK soil in his championship-winning effort.

Patriotik sets the standard for that effort and based on his previous win at this venue, there should be further improvement to come now upped in trip.

15:25 – Ionity @ 10/3

There are two divisions of the handicap hurdle over 2m4f and, in the first of them, Shillanavogy will be a popular pick to follow up last month's Hereford win despite an 8lb rise in the ratings.

Behind him that day in second was IONITY, and he goes in division two here for aforementioned trainer Williams on what could be a good afternoon for him.

The five-year-old was showing improved form in that runner-up effort on what was his fourth hurdles start. He hadn't got within hailing distance on his three qualifying runs but duly improved on handicap bow.

A 2lb nudge up in the ratings may not prevent him going one better, especially with concerns about the jumping of the forecast market leader Rocky Hill, given he was a faller having started favourite in that Hereford contest four weeks ago.

17:35 – Smart Casual @ 15/8

The Ffos Las finale is a handicap hurdle over two-miles and SMART CASUAL can land the spoils for trainer Anthony Honeyball.

The six-year-old is 0-8 over timber but has posted runner-up finishes twice in his last four starts.

They include chasing home Wonderweasle over 2m4f here in late March. He moved well for the majority of that race and, on that evidence, dropping back in trip now could be the key to him opening his account under Richie McLernon.

Find more Horse Racing Tips here at Betfred Insights