Neil Morrice shares all of his best bets and tips for Friday’s racing coming your way from Chester, Ascot, Ripon, Market Rasen, and Wolverhampton on 08 May 2026.
CHESTER
Race 2 No2 GALIYAN
Trainer: Andrew Balding – Jockey: Oisin Murphy
GALIYAN was green and found the mile and a quarter an inadequate test when second on his first run at Newmarket. This move up to a mile and a half should prove just what the doctor ordered, and he can open his account.
Race 3 DEEPBRIDGE HUXLEY STAKES (Group 2)
No8 SKY SAFARI (Each Way)
Trainer: James Fanshawe – Jockey: Daniel Muscutt
Mary Slack has a fine prospect in SKY SAFARI, who is one of two distaffers taking on seven males in the day’s feature. The field includes last year’s Betfred Derby winner LAMBOURN who should surely head the market, but my selection has been making hay in good races on the all-weather which culminated in a career best triumph in Lingfield’s Group 3 Winter Derby. It marked a fourth win from her last five starts but she nevertheless can be backed at a big double figure price, making her a tempting proposition.
Race 4 LADBROKES CHESTER CUP HANDICAP
No12 TEAM PLAYER (Each Way)
Trainer: Ewan Whillans – Jockey: Greg Fairley
Chester’s most historic race presents a good betting medium with very strong Irish representation. Joseph O’Brien appears hell bent on winning the contest and saddles a trio that includes ante post favourite GALILEO DAME. This mare was over faced in three Listed race outings in 2025, but broke her duck as a jumper at Navan in the winter, before going close in a heavy ground stayers’ handicap at the same course. A PIECE OF HEAVEN gives O’Brien an equal chance of landing the spoils following near misses at Dundalk and the Curragh. While yet to win out of his current stable, the gelding is a three times scorer who has only twice missed the frame in a career spanning fourteen races. BLINDEDBYTHELIGHTS has to be taken seriously from his position at the foot of the weights for Sir Mark Prescott. He’s managed to finish second in six of his last seven races but knows how to win, and the addition of cheek pieces could prove a master stroke. Just preferred to him however is TEAM PLAYER, a horse that has always needed time, but gone from strength to strength for his last two trainers. He’s unbeaten in two for Ewan Whillans and should find the make and shape of this marathon to be just his cup of tea.
Prediction: 1st TEAM PLAYER, 2nd Blindedbythelights, 3rd A Piece Of Heaven, 4th Galileo Dame
Race 5 No16 THE GOOD BISCUIT (Nap)
Trainer: Ruth Carr – Jockey: Warren Fentiman
THE GOOD BISCUIT has proved a regular earner for his owners through the autumn and winter with figures of 31132. He pays a first visit to the Roodee from a good draw in this 1200 metres sprint, having been mugged close home at Pontefract last week. He has the wherewithal to put in another earning run.
Race 7 No12 PROOF
Trainer: Charlie Hills – Jockey: Jason Watson
PROOF may be all that you need in the last chance saloon after a cracking three days of racing on the Roodee. The recent Southwell scorer has the perfect draw in this 1000 metres sprint competing for a trainer whose family have saddled a multitude of winners at the course over the years.
ASCOT
Race 6 No6 KING’S TRUST (Nap)
Trainer: John Gosden – Jockey: William Buick
KING’S TRUST looked upwardly mobile when progressing from race to race in three 2025 outings in the colours of the King. He needed every inch of the 1400 metres and the assistance of first time blinkers to open his account at Southwell in the autumn, but he’s going to relish the step up in trip for a trainer bang amongst the winners.
Race 7 No8 BELIEVITANDUCAN
Trainer: Alan King – Jockey: Luke Catton
Dual purpose horse BELIEVITANDUCAN is a fascinating contender for the finale, bringing a record of three hurdling successes for King to the table. He gave a good account when second in a warm contest at Kempton a year ago and might be well treated for this first run in a turf Flat race since arriving at Barbury Castle.
RIPON
Race 1 No2 RED SPELLS DANGER
Trainer: Tim Easterby – Jockey: David Allan
Easterby rarely misses out with his runners at this garden course and he looks to have a ready made winner of the opener with RED SPELLS DANGER. The selection showed promise in three visits to York in his juvenile season, and after hitting the crossbar on both 2026 starts should enjoy the return to turf.
Race 2 No6 HOOD WINK
Trainer: Tim Easterby – Jockey: David Allan
From the same stable HOOD WINK can take care of business. He was unlucky when finding every door close in front of him at Redcar, and proved that by dead heating on a quick turnaround at Wetherby when he looked the outright winner. He should enjoy the long straight here, which gives him time to mount his challenge.
Race 6 No3 BRADBURY (Nap)
Trainer: Ed Bethell – Jockey: Callum Rodriguez
BRADBURY is for me the bet of the day in the nightcap. The Ghaiyyath gelding enjoyed stepping up to a mile and a half at Wolverhampton but was intimidated when making his move before running out of racing real estate. This wasn’t picked up in the press and means we should get a better price about him. In my humble opinion he’s a winner without a penalty.
MARKET RASEN
Race 4 No3 CLASSIC KING (Nap)
Trainer: Emma Lavelle – Jockey: Harry Cobden
CLASSIC KING has a chequered history as a chaser, but when returning to fences after a long spell away from them ran well in defeat at Stratford. Cobden remains aboard the talented but idiosyncratic gelding who is the pick of the weights.
Race 5 No6 CHAMPAGNE TWIST ( Each Way)
Trainer: Ben Pauling – Jockey: Ben Jones
Although he has been in jumping’s wilderness, CHAMPAGNE TWIST can’t be safely ruled out in this handicap hurdle, while my inclination is to have a small investment on him. He looked a useful prospect in 2024 before his form deteriorated but that’s resulted in him being given not inconsiderable leeway by the assessor.
WOLVERHAMPTON
Race 4 No6 WITHTEARSINMYEYES (Nap)
Trainer: Jack Channon – Jockey: George Bass
WITHTEARSINMYEYES made a good impression when second on her Nottingham introduction and might have made more a race of it with the winner but for hanging. That sign of inexperience is unlikely to raise its head this time, as the Nap will be more streetwise.
Race 7 No1 LEONIE
Trainer: Andrew Balding – Jockey: Alfie Redman
LEONIE troubled the judge on consecutive starts at this course before opening her account at Kempton where she was in full control at the finish. The top weight gets relief from the 7lb claim of her apprentice jockey, and can follow-up.
