Lucky 15 Tips: Top jocks at the double on Friday?

Friday features some terrific racing in the UK and Ireland, with most tastes beautifully catered for. By way of an attractive change let's pop up to Sedgefield for our Lucky 15 tips - it might even be a first for the column - and a seven-race card embracing late afternoon/early evening.

We start at 16:15, and former champion Brian Hughes is among the jocks on show. After a bout of second-itis we had a couple of solid winners yesterday at gorgeous Newton Abbot, so more of the same, please!

Horse Racing Odds

Today's Horse Races

16:50 - Mutual Respect @ 2/1

Just over 2m to travel here, in a Class 5 handicap chase.

The selection Mutual Respect is a nine-year-old gelding by a G2-winning French stayer. Billy Aprahamian trains, at Towcester, and in-form Jack Tudor (30% strike-rate in the last fortnight) has the riding assignment.

The horse has three wins from 30 starts all told, the last of which was in October last in a similar affair at Bangor, off a mark of 93. Interestingly, having been raised just a couple of pounds for that success he's now back, after two ordinary efforts since, on the very same mark.

It doesn't look the most overwhelming heat and the booking of Tudor, who has two other good-looking chances on the card, appeals. It will be the first time he's ridden this one in public but some good 'uns have been on his back previously including Gavin Sheehan, Sam Twiston-Davies and James Bowen - to say nothing of the likes of Danny Mullins and Brian Cooper when he was with Shark Hanlon in Ireland, between mid-2020 and November 2022.

17:25 - Pub Crawl @ 15/8

It's that man Tudor again this time for frequent collaborator David Pipe, making the trip from their Somerset base for a Class 5 handicap hurdle (2m 1f).

The six-year-old gelding is by a G1-winning Juddmonte Farms stallion, himself a brother to Frankel no less. Pipe has had the horse since December 2023 and is yet to trouble the judge, remaining a maiden after 25 career starts.

He was active on the flat for former handlers Tjade Collier and Michael Bell, and was sent hurdling by Pipe around this time last year. The piece of form that attracts me of the six timber-spins so far is the last one; here at Sedgefield in October, in a similar race, going down by just a length.

Connections return to the scene and he's got a lovely racing weight of 10st 5lb. If Pub Crawl can channel some of his old Flat prowess shown at venues like York and Newmarket on this likely fairly lively ground then he'd have a bright chance for me.

18:25 - Lillistar @ 5/1

Time to tap in to Brian Hughes' talents now, in a 2m 4f Class 5 mares' handicap hurdle.

Lillistar is a five-year-old daughter of Zoustar, and she's trained by Micky Hammond in Middleham. She's still a maiden after 15 races under rules and is another who plied her trade earlier on the flat, with Harry and Roger Charlton.

New connections acquired her in January 2024, and alongside a couple of flat exploits she's been hurdling; so far with no success. However - last time out some 65 days ago, on her first visit to Sedgefield, she achieved an emphatic career-high Racing Post rating in finishing third, having made a bad mistake at the last.

That looked potentially to be a 'penny is dropping' moment, and the booking of Hughes is a big factor for me in thinking she could be certainly be competitive here.

18:55 - Hold Onto The Line @ 13/8

Well; here's a degree of symmetry, because once more we're looking to a jock to conjure up a double. Brian Hughes is again doing the steering, this time in a 2m3.5f Class 5 handicap chase.

Hold Onto The Line is an eight-year-old Westerner gelding that's a highly-respectable five-from-17 in his career under rules. Borders handler James Ewart trains.

He's in an excellent vein of form right now and hasn't been out of the first three in his last five starts, including a win at Newcastle off a mark of 103. He was only raised two pounds for that and remains, after one subsequent run (third, beaten 3.5l) on the same spot (105).

He's earned topweight of 12st, and I'm hoping Brian can do the necessary and bring him home for win number six.

This is an example of a Lucky 15. If you can improve upon my selections (of course you can), then go for it!

The odds can fluctuate between publishing our pieces and race-time. As a guide, a £0.50p win Lucky 15 on today's selections, at the prices, and assuming all four won, would return around £195 for your total £7.50 stake.

Fred, 'The Bonus King,' invented the 'Lucky' series of bets and their bonuses. My colleague Adam has set out all you need to know with this handy guide - take a look by clicking here.

Horse Racing & Greyhound bets only. Excludes Virtual Racing. 5x odds on Lucky 63. 4x Odds Lucky 31. 3x Odds Lucky 15. All selections must run. Paid in cash if only 1 winner. T&Cs Apply.

Lucky 15 tips from Betfred Insights.