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Three for Friday from Timeform's Free Form Site...


There's a pretty strong argument to be made that Hoof It should be an even shorter-priced favourite than he currently is for this afternoon's Nunthorpe at York (15:40). The level of form he achieved when winning the Stewards' Cup is at least a couple of pounds better than anything any of his rivals can offer, the step back to five furlongs is undoubtedly not a problem, and he has already shown that York is a track that suits him. A lot of the runners in today's race have been taking turns to beat each other in recent seasons, others are plainly out of their depth. Hoof It is an exception on both counts and is worth backing at around the 4.0 mark.

Two miles around a track like Market Rasen ought to have been a wholly inadequate test for the Jonjo O'Neill-trained Caddie Master, who is bred to make a staying chaser, but the strong pace he got when running there earlier in the month allowed him to get up late from Saute, who went in at Fontwell last night. That win did little to alter the perception that Caddie Master wants a trip, and that's what he gets at Bangor (17:10) this afternoon. A 10 lb rise for Market Rasen is arguably lenient bearing in mind the apparent strength of that form, and that's without accounting for the improvement that seems all but assured for the stiffer test of stamina.

The nursery at Salisbury this evening (18:30) has the potential to be a good race of its type with plenty of the field arriving with unexposed profiles, but even so, there's one that stands out a mile at the weights and that is Sir Mark Prescott's Lucky Money. He made his nursery debut over seven furlongs at Wolverhampton earlier in the month and ran very well indeed in what was almost certainly an above-average race, pulling clear with one that proved very well treated. Lucky Money runs off the same mark this evening, and simply put, if he can repeat the Wolverhampton form up a furlong in trip and back on turf, he should take all the beating.


Recommendations

Back Hoof It @ 4.1 York 15:40
Back Caddie Master @ 4.4 Bangor 17:10
Back Lucky Money @ 4.4 Salisbury 18:30


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