Doncaster free racing tips: Two best bets from the last race on Friday’s card

17:55 Doncaster: Hilton Garden Inn Doncaster Racecourse Handicap (5 furlongs)

The early market is led by eight-year-old Strong Johnson, who is on a losing run of 14, suggesting that a much better-value bet at the prices is Richard Fahey’s progressive three-year-old filly, South Parade, who has plenty going for her under these conditions.

The fact that she is already a six-furlong winner means that she will be well suited by a strongly-run race over the minimum trip, which this is highly likely to be, and indeed, this filly loves a prominent role, so she wouldn’t hesitate in going from the front.

She made every yard to win a six-furlong handicap at Thirsk last month, beating a dozen rivals by an easy 2½ lengths, before stepping up into Class 4 company last time out on the Newcastle Tapeta, where she dropped back to five furlongs, but still had the early speed to lead a decent 14-runner field.

Best Bet: South Parade each-way in the 17:55 at Doncaster

Showing a great attitude when headed with less than two furlongs to go, she got back in front again, only to be narrowly beaten by two necks at the line.

The winner of that event hasn’t been out again since, but the runner-up, who was only a neck ahead of South Parade at the line, has since won twice, both times in Class 4 handicaps, and he is now 7lbs higher than when marginally beating South Parade, who herself is only a pound higher.

South Parade came down the near-side from a high draw at Newcastle and she can do precisely the same thing here from stall 16.

There were two big-field straight-track races here on Thursday and five of the eight runners who filled the first four places in each of them came from double-figure draws.

Her in-form claiming rider, Tommie Jakes, has ridden four winners from his last 10 rides, so his 5lbs claim is very useful and it means the filly is effectively 4lb lower than for her near-miss in a similar race to this at Newcastle last time.

Of the others, Paddy’s Day, who is drawn right next to South Parade (so should get a nice tow through the race) is more exposed than the filly, but he boasts some decent five-furlong form on straight, flat tracks, not least when running second of12 in a Class 4 at Musselburgh in April, and when narrowly beaten in a stronger 0-86 Class 4 at Redcar last season.

He ran off 75 in each of those races (on good and good-soft), so he looks a lively contender off a slightly more favourable mark of 74 here.

Next best bet: Paddy’s Day in the 17:55 at Doncaster

• Preview and tips provided Steve Jones, who runs CD Systems Daily Bargain on Tipstrr