Timeform Radio Tips: Friday December 21

Today's bets take place at Ascot.

Rory Delargy heads to Ascot for Friday's bets...

The going for Ascot's two day meeting this weekend is going to provide a real test for the competitors, with more than half an inch of rain falling in the last couple of days. Finding horses who handle hock-deep ground is no guarantee of success, but it's a starting point. One such horse is Jumps Road who contests the novices' handicap chase at 13:20. Colin Tizzard's son of Clerkenwell has a patchy overall record, but he handles heavy ground well, and has never been out of the frame in races on ground described as soft or heavy by Timeform. He shaped better than result behind Howard's Legacy on chase debut at Ffos Las in November, travelling well and just let down by his jumping in the straight. He should have learnt plenty from that, and looks on a very fair mark now handicapping in this sphere. Tizzard has been fairly quiet of late, but most of his horses have been running well enough, and Shaking Hands was a winner at Towcester yesterday, which helps to bolster confidence in the selection.

The Ascot card should be lit up by the talents of Simonsig and Puffin Billy, but both will be odds on, and a better opportunity for betting comes in the Barclays Handicap Hurdle at 15:05. Most of the field make little appeal, with the trio at the bottom of the weights likely to dominate the betting. Of those, Duaiseoir was impressive in first-time blinkers at Taunton last time, but has a patchy overall record, and the headgear isn't certain to have a lasting effect. The longer trip is another concern. Farmer Matt is respected having improved with each of his starts in handicaps, and still appeals as fairly treated, but slight preference is for Spanish Arch, who is also sharply on the up and won with plenty to spare on his handicap bow at Warwick (21f, soft). A penalty underplays his superiority, and he looks certain to make a bold bid if handling the ground. He was a tad disappointing on the only occasion he's raced on heavy, but seemed to handle the ground on that occasion, and probably just needed the run after a break, and his half-sister Bryansford Belle was at her best when the mud was flying.

Timeform Radio Tips
Both at Ascot
Back Jumps Road @ 3.613/5 in the 13:20
Back Spanish Arch @ 3.55/2 in the 15:05 

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