Horse Racing Tips: Henry’s your Friend on Thursday

There are six cards in Britain and Ireland on Wednesday and fans of both codes are well catered for.

My horse racing tips for the afternoon includes a trio from the National Hunt card at Newbury.

13:40 Newbury - Destroytheevidence @ 11/8

Kim Bailey has a good prospect on his hands in DESTROYTHEEVIDENCE, who looks the one to beat in the 2m7f novice handicap chase at Newbury.

Destroytheevidence was well supported to make a winning debut over fences at Chepstow last month and duly delivered in style. Bailey landed that contest with his stable star Chianti Classico in 2023 and Destroytheevidence could be another big improver this campaign.

He was bought with chasing in mind but still managed to reach a high level over hurdles (good second in a Grade 2 at Cheltenham last December) and it would be a surprise if there wasn’t a good deal more to come as he gains experience.

The yard have started the season in great fashion and this six-year-old can keep up the good work in a winnable heat.

14:52 Newbury - Henry's Friend @ 4/1

Good ground is a worry for a few of the runners in the Pertemps qualifier later at Newbury, but not HENRY'S FRIEND, who recorded two easy successes on that terrain over hurdles a couple of seasons ago.

Henry’s Friend proved a highly progressive chaser last season and improved to land the Grade 2 Reynoldstown Chase at Ascot.

After that trainer Ben Pauling threw him into the National Hunt Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, but that marathon test on desperate ground against a couple of top-class Irish novice chasers unsurprisingly proved beyond him.

The selection can enjoy a confidence-boosting triumph before returning to fences for Pauling, who has a strong team to go to war with this term.

15:27 Newbury - Thelasthighking @ 6/1

Nigel Twiston-Davies has a couple of decent chances in the following 2m4f handicap chase, but THELASTHIGHKING makes more appeal than the yard’s supposed first string High Treason.

Jordan Nailor basically always rides Thelasthighking, so his booking shouldn't put punters off, and High Treason’s mark looks on the stiff side for his chasing debut.

It’s difficult to know what to expect from him, whereas Thelasthighking produced his best effort from the previous campaign when second on this surface at Kempton first time out, and that form worked out excellently (winner is now rated 12lb higher and the third landed the Lanzarote Hurdle at that track later in the season).

Thelasthighking is back down to that mark and goes well fresh, so everything looks in place for a big run with Twiston-Davies going great guns.

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