Horse racing tips: James Boyle's best bets for Friday

Horse racing tips today:

• 15:00 Newmarket – Lethal Levi – 1pt @ 16/1 with BetVictor
• 15:35 Newmarket – Jehangeer – 1pt @ 12/1 with Bet365
• 15:50 Goodwood – Desperate Hero – 1pt @ 5/1 with William Hill
• 16:45 Newmarket – Volterra – 2pts @ 4/1 with Bet365

For today's horse racing tips, our analyst James Boyle looks at the flat racing meetings at Newmarket and Goodwood with four selections online.

As always, you’ll find up-to-date odds at the bookmakers, but our tipster’s predictions are researched early in the day and those prices could soon be moved in by the betting public. 

Odds stated are correct at the time of publishing, but check out today's racecards for all the latest movements. 

15:00 Newmarket – Lethal Levi – 1pt @ 16/1

Lethal Levi drew a blank in 2023 but ran well on a few occasions and returns 8lbs below his peak mark. That gives him something to work with and, as long as the ground doesn’t soften up, the chances of him making a winning reappearance should be better than the 16/1 quotes suggest.

The reports from his trainer have been positive and I think that sticking to 7f is the right plan of attack for the moment. He seemed to have lost some of his pace last season and should be more comfortable for longer at this distance, especially on a track that will play to his strengths.

How fit he’s going to be is anyone’s guess and he has improved for a run in times gone by, but the ground was soft for him on last season’s comeback and the yard are going along better this time. If he gets into a good rhythm near the front and is fit enough to keep up the gallop, he’ll be a player.

15:35 Newmarket – Jehangeer – 1pt @ 12/1

Jehangeer is the outsider of the field and that’s not a shock given that he’s only rated 93. However, his rating has been achieved sprinting as a juvenile and he looks just the type to improve as a three-year-old. I also think he shapes as if he’ll definitely improve for a seventh furlong.

We haven’t seen him this year so he’s going to have to prove his fitness against some of the best horses he has faced but Kevin Ryan can have them ready for the big day and hopefully the work has been done. If it has, there’s a bigger performance in him and he could trouble this field.

15:50 Goodwood – Desperate Hero – 1pt @ 5/1

Desperate Hero is talented on his day and had a good season last year, winning three handicaps off 74, 80 and 86. He’s attempting to defy 90 now and that doesn’t make life easy, but looked like he was on good terms with himself when reappearing at Bath four weeks ago.

He didn’t get home there, the combination of lacking fitness and the nature of that track leading to a weak finish, but he should be a step sharper now. He’s only a four-year-old so could find more this season and he will enjoy the test that’s offered up here. In a small field, 5/1 looks very fair.

16:45 Newmarket – Volterra – 2pts @ 4/1

Volterra is another one of Kevin Ryan’s runners making his reappearance and I’m hoping he’s too well-handicapped off 82 to even need a run. That mark looks very generous based on the ability he has proven on the track and the hints he has given that he’ll be an improver for this season.

He didn’t appear until August of last year but quickly showcased his talent, firstly in a valuable maiden at York when fourth to Battle Cry despite clearly needing the experience. He then ran third in a pace race at Ayr before getting off the mark at the third attempt at Redcar. He's a nice prospect.

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