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

For today's horse racing tips, our analyst James Boyle looks at the flat racing at York, with two 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.

13:50 York – Blue Courvoisier – 1pt @ 8/1

This is a brilliant handicap, claims easily made for a lot of runners, but Blue Courvoisier has the tools to trouble all of them and is fairly priced at around the 8/1 mark.

The only lesser effort of his five-race season came at Royal Ascot when being drawn lowest on the straight course ensured he had no chance, but the rest of his form has been progressive.

He finished third at Glorious Goodwood last time when not best suited to the test of speed on offer in a slowly-run affair and despite this being over a furlong shorter, there’s more chance that it will play out to favour him, especially with an ease in the ground.

Drawing stall five is pretty much perfect, the yard are flying and there’s more to come from the horse, a mark of 92 not the ceiling of his ability. He should be there or thereabouts late on.

15:35 York – Azure Angel – 1pt @ 125/1

Azure Angel is a gigantic price and given that she’s the lowest rated runner in the field, and arrives on the back of a no-show at Glorious Goodwood, it’s hardly a surprise to see her ignored.

However, she’s one of those sprinters who I believe has more ability than is often able to be displayed due to a variety of circumstances, and some day she could win a big race.

She’s not a huge fan of the stalls and that was the limiting factor on her latest start, breaking very awkwardly and nearly throwing her rider out the side door.

It’s obviously a performance not to take literally and prior to that I liked the way she shaped in the 5f Group 1 at Royal Ascot before being beaten less than a length over C&D behind Redorange.

On the latter occasion, she travelled too well and got to the front too early, but it’s safe to say the likelihood of getting there early this time is both slim and none.

Getting to the front at any stage is not in the script according to the betting and it’s probably right, but a clean break and a strong pace up front could see her in with a chance.

These sprints tend to throw up some funny goings-on and even though no shortage of risk is attached with this bet, I’m adamant she’ll be near them if the start goes to plan.

If one or two disappoint, she can hit the places. If a few more disappoint, things get interesting!