Friday Racing Tips: Tizzard hoping for Kempton success

Three all-weather meetings trump the sole National Hunt offering in the UK and Ireland on Friday and it should be another busy day.

There will be afternoon fare from Wolverhampton and Kempton to start the day, while evening meetings at Dundalk and Chelmsford complete the action.

One of our stronger fancies on Friday is one from Joe Tizzard’s yard in the third race of the day at Kempton.

14:40 Kempton - Pedley Wood @ 10/3 

Joe Tizzard's horses are particularly prone to taking off on the back of wind surgery and PEDLEY WOOD is the latest demonstration.

He had his wind done over the summer and is two from two this season, landing races at Hereford and Taunton. He had more in hand than the bare margin of half a length over a well-handicapped rival last time and so the handicapper has let him off lightly with a 3lb rise.

He goes at another sharp, right-handed track today. The slight unknown is the soft ground, but Kempton takes rain well and this will be the first chase of the day so the ground will not be churned up.

Plenty of others have been taken out on account of conditions, so Pedley Wood not being so can be taken as a vote of confidence from connections, who have got plenty right with him of late.

15:10 Kempton - Katate Dori @ 3/1

Sam Thomas’ gelding KATATE DORI has finished third in two of his three starts over hurdles so far and is set to make his handicap debut at Kempton with Sam Twiston-Davies on board. There were signs of improvement at Hereford last time out and the best is yet to come.

Katate Dori won a bumper at Market Rasen last March and the third has since boosted the form by winning twice over hurdles and finishing just seven lengths behind Jeriko Du Reponet in a Grade 2 when last seen.

Having struggled somewhat in his first two starts over hurdles, Katate Dori kept on well to finish third at Hereford, despite getting a little outpaced two out. The extra furlong-and-a-half here should suit on that evidence and he’s entitled to improve plenty for the switch to handicaps.

19:45 Chelmsford - Clipsham Gold @ 9/4

Trainer Dylan Cunha has kept CLIPSHAM GOLD busy over the last few months, with the five-year-old running no fewer than 12 times since September.

Despite some gutsy performances throughout that spell, Clipsham Gold has not won, but Cunha has decided to apply cheekpieces for the first time, hoping that helps him sharpen his focus.

Cunha's charge was campaigned over 1m2f on his last outing, but a drop back to 1m for Friday's contest at Chelmsford may be just what he needs to return to the winners' enclosure.

Clipsham Gold has finished in the top four in three of his last four runs at Chelmsford and, with cheekpieces applied, he can land the spoils for connections.

Check out the rest of our Horse Racing Tips here.