Friday's Horse Racing Tips: James Boyle's Best Bets at Ascot & York

For today's horse racing tips, our analyst James Boyle looks at the flat racing at Ascot, with three selections now online.

As always, you’ll find the most up-to-date odds at the best horse racing betting sites, but our tipster’s predictions are researched early in the day and those prices could soon change. Odds stated are correct at the time of publishing.

17:12 Ascot – Lady Roxby – 1pt @ 4/1

Lady Roxby has raced over six-furlongs for all four starts this season and whilst she clearly does get that trip, a stiff test at the minimum may well be more favourable.

She was strong in the betting for her last start when returned to handicap company following a tilt at a Listed race, and shaped well for much of the way before weakening late on.

It was a step back in the right direction and the handicapper easing her mark by a couple of pounds to 80 is a help, putting her below a couple of narrow defeats at the end of last season.

Jack Mitchell returning in the saddle is no harm, his record on board the filly reading 1-2-2-3, and the yard are 12-51 (23%) since the beginning of June, almost double their usual strike-rate.

The run of the race may favour her more than Dandy Magic, who tops the market at present, and I think the 4/1 on offer is fair enough. It won’t be long until she wins again, hopefully today.

17:32 York – Stratocracy – 1pt @ 12/1

The market is already keen on the chances of Stratocracy and I think he’s still a fair play at 12/1.

There’s nothing wrong with his three runs on turf this season, finishing sixth of 22 over C&D – when likely in need of the run – before a pair of fifth placed efforts at Wetherby and then Newbury.

On the latter occasion he raced in the smaller group of three, away from the other 11, and led them home. He couldn’t match the others but would have benefitted from getting a tow along.

Commander Of Life, who finished second there, won last night and the fourth has won a couple of mile handicaps since, so it isn’t bad form for a 0-80, and Stratocracy may boost it further.

If things pan out, his mark of 77 should not be beyond him even in a field as competitive as this and although I’d prefer he was drawn lower, it’s not the end of the world to be wide here.

Getting the bigger prices would have been preferred, of course, I fancy any of the double-figured quotes still underestimate his chance of winning and he’s not far away from peaking again. 

19:15 York – Rajaking – 1pt @ 9/2

Rajaking looked ready to win at Newmarket a few weeks ago, then the field split, he couldn’t get a lead and ended up tanking his way to the front, doing far too much.

It would have seemed more probable that he’d drop out of the battle coming down to the final furlong but he kept on better than expected to the line and was only a length away in third.

That was a fine effort considering, backing up the promise of his Windsor run the time before when fourth in a 0-90, and I don’t think the same problems are at risk of arising today.

He doesn’t have any York experience on his slate but should be suited to it, whilst he has a more favourable draw than most of his main rivals.

Kieran Shoemark taking over from an apprentice can help to keep Rajaking relaxed and the yard’s horses are in fine form, including two winners and a 28/1 second from their last four runners.

If he’s not heavily in the mix coming into the closing stages, I’ll be disappointed.