York’s Dante Festival kicks off on Wednesday and as such, the ITV cameras will be out once again. Five races from York and one from Yarmouth will be televised live so we’ve got you covered. We’re back with our usual feast of outsiders that may have been unfairly overlooked. These include a 40/1 shot that looks particularly well treated and could surprise a few. Take a look at our free tips page for daily content across British and Irish racing.
La Pulga (22/1, bet365) was outstayed when fifth in a valuable race at Musselburgh on seasonal debut. The six-year-old’s last win came over this trip at Thirsk in September and a 5lb higher mark wouldn’t have stopped him that day. Charlie Johnston’s gelding has some rock-solid form in the book and enough ability to suggest he can outrun his odds.
Brave Empire (40/1, betfred) has been gelded and had wind surgery since we last saw him and the four-year-old remains lightly raced. He won a decent handicap at Lingfield off a 4lb higher mark for previous connections in February 2024 and he should be capable of running a big race on that evidence. Tom Marquand is an eye-catching jockey booking and with his lengthy absence being factored into the price, he could be worth giving a go here.
Lesley’s Boy (16/1, betfred) was too bad to be true at Pontefract on seasonal debut and you can put a line through that effort. The handicapper has dropped him 1lb as a result and that can only be a good thing. Richard Fahey’s three-year-old wasn’t beaten far when third off this mark at Newcastle in October and further improvement is anticipated this season.
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