Cheltenham is back, and so is top tipster and broadcaster Ed Quigley, aka ‘Longshot Ted’ who serves up his best bets for Friday’s action at Prestbury Park…

Ted’s best bets for Friday 25, October, 2024:

Find the following picks for the races of the day on Friday, October 25. Play on the races with our best expert-rated horse racing betting sites:

Cheltenham 1.15 – American Sniper – each way bet with talkSPORT BET

Cheltenham 2.25 – Matata – bet with Betano

Cheltenham 3.35 – Strictlyadancer – each way bet with Betfred

Cheltenham 1.15 – American Sniper each way

I will chance my arm on the David Pipe trained AMERICAN SNIPER, who is a bit of an enigma, but has it in the locker to get involved in a race of this nature from an each-way perspective.

The form of the 6-year-old is very up and down, and his recent efforts have been below par. However, his last win came at this track, so a return to Prestbury Park will do him no harm whatsoever.

Purely from a handicapping point of view, he looks fairly treated as he gets to run off a mark of 122 – he has tumbled down the weights back to the same official rating as when last successful. He is a big price here having his second start after a wind operation, and the Pipe team have been amongst the winners over the last 10 days or so.

The excellent Jack Tudor takes the ride on the gelding and I am backing this combination to cause an upset in the curtain raiser for the meeting.

Back American Sniper each way with talkSPORT BET

Cheltenham 2.25 – Matata

MATATA has an excellent record when fresh, so this could be the time to catch the Nigel Twiston-Davies trained 6-year-old. He has bolted up on his seasonal reappearance for the last two years, and he will more than likely be fired-up for this, where drying ground will be helping his cause.

This represents much calmer waters than some of the most recent contests he has been in. After romping home on Chase debut at Ffos Las, he ran some crackers in defeat in Graded company, including when fourth in the Arkle at the Cheltenham Festival on ground that would have been softer than ideal for this strong traveller.

With more improvement expected, this bold front runner can make a splash back in Handicap compay here. The Twiston-Davies yard continues to operate at a healthy strike-rate, and with the touch of class he has in the locker, he looks capable of seeing off his rivals with veteran jockey Daryl Jacob on board. 

Back Matata with Betano

Cheltenham 3.35 – Strictlyadancer each way

STRICTLYADANCER hs two course and distance wins at the track, including this race back in 2021, and looks primed to strike once again for the Christian Williams team.

Drying ground sees underfoot conditions turning in his favour as he returns to a venue where we know he comes alive, and he was unlucky not to get closer than fourth when badly hampered in this race 12 months ago off 2lb higher.

Off a mark of 119 he is looking dangerously well handicapped, and Edward Vaughan is in the saddle claiming 7lb. The 10-year-old gelding thrives on  sound surface so everything lets set for a big run. Strictlyadancer had a perfect prep run for this when travelling well for a long way before coming fourth (his usual prep race for this), and that should have him spot-on.

I think the Christian Williams trained representative is more than capable of getting involved at the business end of proceedings here and gets the each-way nod from me. 

Bet on Strictlyadancer each way with Betfred

Don’t forget Ed will be back on Saturday with his wise wagers for the weekend, with his best bets for Cheltenham’s Saturday card taking centre stage…

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.