Horse racing tips: Exeter and Sandown – Friday December 6

Today brings a mixture of jumps and all-weather Flat racing to enjoy, with five meetings across the UK and Ireland.

Exeter (12.25-3.55) gets the show on the road before Sedgefield (12.35-3.27) and Sandown (12.48-3.35) with their cards over obstacles. Action on the level comes from Newcastle (3.13-7.20) and Dundalk (5.00-8.30).

Among our Friday fancies is one at the Devon venue for Alan King who went close on his seasonal reappearance and looks primed to go one better.

Horse racing tips today – Exeter and Sandown

Our picks for Friday are below. Scroll down to read the expert analysis behind them. 

• Nap: The Doyen Chief (Exeter, 1.00) @ SP with BetMGM
• Next best: Resplendent Grey (Sandown, 2.33) @ SP with BetMGM
• Other: Quebecois (1.58, Sandown) @ SP with BetMGM

Odds, correct at time of publishing, may be subject to change.

Horse racing tips: Exeter, 1.00

Most of the seven runners declared for the second race here have legitimate claims of victory, with a mix of novice and more experienced chasers set to battle it out. However, King’s THE DOYEN CHIEF gets the vote.

He produced some good performances over hurdles last season, failing to finish outside the first two just once in four starts when he unseated his rider at Lingfield in January. 

The seven-year-old gelding was sent off a short-priced favourite for his first chase start at Market Rasen in October but showed his inexperience and finished third, beaten by two-and-three-quarter lengths

It is interesting that he steps back in trip – that race was over 2m 5f and today’s is two furlongs shorter – to a distance that he was successful over last term over hurdles. With a run over fences now under his belt, he should not be taken lightly. 

Selection: The Doyen Chief @ SP with BetMGM

Horse racing tips: Sandown, 2.33

RESPLENDENT GREY looks a worthy favourite in the Grade 2 Esher Novices’ Chase here, a contest won by Stay Away Fay last year.

Olly Murphy’s Walk In the Park gelding was unable to complete a hat-trick last time out – he was narrowly beaten in a Listed race at Cheltenham by Hyland on November 15 – but the six-year-old remains a progressive novice chaser.

He was held up for most of that race and a mistake two fences from home ultimately cost him any chance of victory. 

However, that was the grey’s first attempt over three miles and connections have opted to stick to staying trips for now, with his pedigree suggesting he should have the required stamina. 

Sean Bowen again takes the ride and the pick could be tough to pass if the in-form jockey can get his mount into a good jumping rhythm.

Selection: Resplendent Grey @ SP with BetMGM

Horse racing tips: Sandown, 1.58

Paul Nicholls’s QUEBECOIS blew his rivals away at Chepstow on his hurdling debut in October, with the 14-time champion trainer comparing him to recent stable flagbearers Stage Star and Hermes Allen after his easy success at the Welsh venue.

Both those horses won the Grade 1 Challow Hurdle, and the selection will need to be just as good in the Grade 2 Winter Novices’ Hurdle if he is to book his ticket for that race at Newbury at the end of the year.

All five of his opponents also won last time out, so it will not be easy, but if ground conditions remain soft at Sandown then we could see a strong performance from the five-year-old gelding, whose trainer has won two of the past five runnings and five times in all. Harry Cobden, who steered the selection to victory last time out, is on driving duty again.

Selection: Quebecois @ SP with BetMGM