Friday’s Racing Tips – Caldwell Potter’s jumping will be too good for a weaker field at Windsor

Katate Dori was well backed into 6/4F but was seen off by an old losing selection of mine, Collector's Item. I actually can't believe that the Jonjo horse has come and done that to Cairnzy's selection. He was on a good mark, but he is so inconsistent and often throws up horrendous performances.

Rizzel's tips

Caldwell Potter EVS (2pt) – Windsor 1.50

I didn't think it would be worth siding with Caldwell Potter in this race, as I was expecting him to be very short odds, around 4/6 or even shorter, but when I looked and saw he was on the drift and was at EVS or slightly shorter, I thought that made him worthy of a bet.

Yes, last time out at Cheltenham, Caldwell Potter was firmly put in his place, but in hindsight, he was beaten by a smart prospect and I don't think he saw the trip out. Today, he reverts back to 2m, the ground probably isn't as slow as connections would want, but the level of opposition isn't as strong as last time out, and for me, that makes him a strong bet on Friday.

His jumping is his greatest asset, he has looked smooth over his obstacles in his first two chase starts, and I think the drop back to 2m will right the wrong of last time out. Today's opposition is solid, but I don't think they'd land a glove on the likes of Jango Baie or even Springwell Bay, who was second and has since franked the form.

Blueking D'Oroux 9/4 – Windsor 3.00

We all know that Langer Dan should be winning this race, especially with him getting 4lbs from nearly every horse in the race. If Dan Skelton removes the handbrake from Langer Dan, he'll win this, but I think Dan will want to prove a point with him and let him consistently run below form runs until Cheltenham and then he'll return, and then he can say do the “I told you so”, as in theory they could easily go for this race as the handicapper has remained firm with his handicap mark by not dropping him 1lb for his first two runs of the season.

So with that being said, I thought Blueking D'Oroux was the horse to be on. He is inconvenienced by carrying a 4lb penalty, but even with that, I think he is good enough to beat this field. He is clearly very useful over this intermediate trip, shown by his win over Strong Leader last year and then finishing second to Lucky Place this year. The form of that race is definitely the best form in the race if ignoring the Skelton runner, as the winner has since followed up with a second Grade 2 victory at Cheltenham, recording an RPR of 152.

Salver looks to need bottomless ground to be at his best. Nemean Lion just isn't as good as what people thought he was, even with his last performance being impressive when carrying 12st to victory. Iberico Lord won the Betfair Hurdle last year, but in hindsight, other than the runner-up, who is clearly a much better horse over fences, it looks like a weak renewal, and he would be getting more weight in a handicap from my selection, but also it is a Henderson/de Boinville combination who have burnt my fingers on multiple of occasions.

Sam Brown 9/2 – Market Rasen 2.35

I can't stop myself from getting involved in the Veteran only races, as they provide great races where you can find value. For this race, they are going for a lovely prize of £38.5k to the winner, which is a tremendous amount of money for these older horses. I think it would be an easy option to go for Copperhead in this race as he has been ahead of some in this race already this season and has been in great form, but I'm going to give a chance to the newly turned 13-year-old, Sam Brown.

It could be a disaster going for Sam Brown in this race as he is the joint eldest horse in the race, but I think the 10lb claimer on board makes him an attractive bet for Friday. This horse has been a wonderful servant to the Anthony Honeyball yard, running in all the big races, from Graded races to the big handicaps in England and Ireland, he's done it all. Even last year he was running some belting races in competitive handicaps, and even winning a couple along the way. This year he was third in the Grade 2 at Wetherby, better known as the Charlie Hall when finishing behind The Real Whacker and Bravesmansgame. In hindsight, the form could be flattering as the latter horse was poor in King George, but alternatively, the winner finished fourth and ran a solid race, so chances are that Sam Brown ran a cracker for the age that he is.

Carrying 12st would have been a nightmare for Sam Brown, and even though he is definitely capable of winning off this mark if turning up in the right form, I think the 10lb claimer, which puts him down to a mark of 143 gives him a fighting chance of winning this race, based on last seasons exploits. It's nice to see that he has been given over a month's break since running below form the last time, as I think he likes to be fresh for his races in his older years, so given he brief time away from the track, I think he'll be replenished and ready to give this a good crack.

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