Wednesday Racing Tips: Hardly Surprising if Fry runner breaks duck

Flat racing dominates proceedings across Britain and Ireland on Wednesday but there's also some National Hunt racing to keep Jump fans occupied.

Here's our Wednesday racing tips, including a Harry Fry-trained maiden who should prove very hard to beat.

14:30 Fontwell - Hardly Surprising @ 2/1

Harry Fry runs HARDLY SURPRISING here and the five-year-old has been provided with an excellent opportunity to get off the mark here. He was a narrow winner of his first and only start in an Irish point-to-point in March and has had three starts under rules so far.

The JP McManus-owned five-year-old started off under rules in a maiden hurdle here over a slightly shorter trip in November, where he finished fifth, and the winner of that race is a smart novice hurdler. It was an improved effort when third at Bangor-on-Dee next time out.

He was perhaps a little unfortunate on that occasion as he didn't get the clearest of runs, but clearly appreciated the extra couple of furlongs. This son of Affinisea will be getting off the mark sooner or later and he looks like the one to beat here.

16:40 Nottingham - Bird Of War @ 11/2

Charles Hills is 0/6 in the last fortnight, but he runs BIRD OF WAR in this competitive-looking handicap and he looks capable of getting his head in front. It took a while for the penny to drop but there were clear signs of improvement on handicap debut at Yarmouth.

Fourth at Leicester after that, that form has worked out pretty well, with the runner-up going on to win his next couple of starts. Hills' colt was an impressive winner on the all-weather at Newcastle on his final start of the last campaign and he kicked clear in good style.

It's very difficult to argue with the handicapper's decision to put him up 8lb for that success and further progress could well be on the cards.

16:47 Fontwell - Rap Soul @ 6/5

The very lightly-raced RAP SOUL only had three starts over hurdles and Richard Bandey's seven-year-old didn't show a great deal. Those wins achieved their desired effect of getting him a handicap mark and the switch to fences has made a huge difference.

Making his first start over the larger obstacles at Plumpton in February, clearly the switch to handicaps also helped as he kicked clear to score by just shy of 10 lengths. The handicapper responded with a 12lb rise and that wasn't enough to stop him.

Bandey's gelding made all the running over the same course and distance next time and managed to score with more in hand than the winning margin suggests.

Up another 6lb for that effort, the handicapper will catch up eventually, but he can win again before that happens.

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