A massive weekend of horse racing awaits us as some of the top jump superstars, such as Gerri Colombe, Bravemansgame, and Brighterdaysahead, make their seasonal reappearance.

Today, we start with looking at the best action on Friday as Down Royal and Wetherby warm up for their stellar two-day meeting.

Here, you will get my best horse racing tips for Friday and the best online bookmakers to make your Friday bets a winning one.

Best Friday horse racing betting tips

• Down Royal 12:25 – The Yellow Clay 5/4
• Down Royal 1:30 – Savante 2/1
• Down Royal 2:05 Brighterdaysahead 1/1

*Odds are subject to change.

Down Royal 12:25 – Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden Hurdle (2m6½f)

This maiden has always been used as a starting point for some of Gordon Elliott’s top novice hurdler hopefuls, with Fury Road, Hollow Games, and American Mike taking this before going onto bigger and better things, and this year is no different.

THE YELLOW CLAY, a horse that I think is set to scale to the top table of novice hurdlers this season, will look to get his hurdle career off to a winning start today.

This two-time bumper winner, including at Listed level and a good sixth in the Champion Bumper, was followed by a Grade 1 place at the Punchestown Festival. It looks like a middle to long-distance hurdle to keep very much on the right side of this season.

This looks stronger than in recent years with Wingman declared; I would be disappointed if The Yellow Clay could not get off to a winning start on ground he handles.

• Current Betting: The Yellow Clay 5/4, My Lyka 5/2, Wingman 10/3, Champagne Kid 16/1, John The Spark 20/1, 25/1 bar.

Bet on The Yellow Clay with Betano

Down Royal 1:30 – Grade 3 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Feathard Lady Mares Novice Hurdle (2m1f)

It’s hard to believe that Brigherdaysahead went off 2/1 when winning the 2023 running of this race, but it would be a surprise if a mare with the talent of Brighterdaysahead lurked in here.

You could make some sort of case for each of the nine declared runners, but SAVANTE is coming in here after a promising display at Tramore and looks to be going in the right direction.

She was a taking winner of a mares-only bumper at Punchestown in June but couldn’t back that up as she was a tailed off 11th beaten 46 lengths when sent off 4/6 favourite at Killarney. But that was not her true running.

Having opened up at 6/5 for her hurdle debut, Savante was well backed into 8/11 before the off, and she duly obliged in the manner of an exciting horse.

She has every right to come on for that run, and if that is the case, this exciting daughter of the Workforce can be a force to be reckoned with today and for the coming season.

• Current Betting: Savante 2/1, Speculatrix 11/4, Mystical Goddess 7/2, Sansrisk 8/1, Royal Hollow 17/2, Stormalong 16/1, 25/1 bar.

Bet on Savante with bet365

Down Royal 2:05 – Grade 3 Bottlegreen Hurdle (2m1f)

The race that has gotten the horse racing fans all taking. The mare that was said to be going chasing this season by her trainer Gordon Elliott has since had a change of heart and kept her over hurdles. This makes her return today, and we all know who it is…BRIGHTERDAYSAHEAD

This Grade 1 winning mare only has one defeat on her record when, to everyone’s disbelief, she got turned over at odds of 5/6 in the Mares Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

A lot went wrong that day, from the lack of pace to Jack Kennedy and Paul Townend getting into a private battle and, in so, leaving the eventual winner, Golden Ace, to sprint away from them up the Cheltenham hill.

She made up for that at Aintree with a devastating win, so hopes are at an all-time high for this superstar mare going into this season.

She faces Daddy Long Legs and stablemate King Of Kingsfiled, who are graded performers in their own right.

They add a bit of spice to the race, but with no pace, she may make her own running over this trip and dictate the fractions.

She is a very straightforward mare who can take this on the way to what should be a season to remember.

• Current Betting: Brighterdaysahead 1/1, Daddy Long Legs 15/8, King Of Kingsfield 10/3, Smooth Tom 28/1, Miss Fourie 80/1, Breagagh 200/1.

Bet on Brighterdaysahead with talkSPORT BET

About the author

Andrew Halligan

My name is Andrew Halligan, horse racing pundit and founder of YouTube’s The Finishing Line Podcast. Horse racing is a thrilling spectacle that captivates audiences around the world with its blend of drama and excitement. Whether you’re a jumps or flat fan, I will use my experience of working within the horse racing industry to bring the best of what this sport has to offer.

You can follow Andrew on X (@Halligan88).

Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to talkSPORT. 18+. T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org

Remember to gamble responsibly

A responsible gambler is someone who:

• Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
• Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
• Never chase their losses
• Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
• Gamcare – www.gamcare.org.uk
• GambleAware – www.gambleaware.org

Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.

For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to www.gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites.