Hereford evening racing tips: Best bets for Friday, May 24

Let's get the ball rolling with a quick list of tips from all six races at Hereford on Friday, and there's some details on why we've picked them at the bottom of the page.

Don't forget to check out the full racecard, results and live odds in Planet Sport's racing live centre.

Planet Sport Bet also have special offers running on all of Hereford's races.

Bet minimum £20+ cash on any runner in the race and if the qualifying terms are met, as detailed in the table at the bottom of the page, earn a £5 free bet for every £20+ cash bet, or a £20 free bet for every £100+ cash bet

Good luck and please gamble responsibly.

(Please be aware selections could become non-runners after article's first publication)

 

Friday's Pontefract tips:

17:20 (Hereford) Global Esteem

17:55 (Hereford) MacTavish

18:30 (Hereford) Famoso

19:00 (Hereford) Only Fools

19:30 (Hereford) Hardy Boy

20:00 (Hereford) Good Impression

 

17:20 (Hereford) Global Esteem

Global Esteem can break his maiden over obstacles in the Daily Racing Specials @Planetsportbet Maiden Hurdle.

A five-time winner on the Flat he was second on his seasonal bow at Plumpton, where he did not do a lot wrong with the exception of jumping right at his hurdles. With that in mind this track will be more to his liking.

 

17:55 (Hereford) MacTavish

MacTavish appears well-handicapped if improving for a reappearance second at Ludlow against similar competition and has a leading chance in the Best Odds Guaranteed At Planetsportbet Handicap Hurdle.

Halifax carries top weight. Scored by four lengths at Kempton over 3m1/2f when last seen and is firmly in the mix.

Behind The Curtain was a good second at this course in latest. Enjoys these conditions and could go well.

Bashford holds each-way claims if improving for a reappearance seventh at Southwell.

 

18:30 (Hereford) Famoso

Famoso has been racing well with three placings from past five outings.

Good second over course and distance when last seen and a bold bid is anticipated in conditions which suit in the Horseracing On Another Planet Podcast Handicap Chase.

Tonto Foley has been freshened for three months since a Taunton victory. Could be firmly in the mix.

Pittsburg was disappointing on the flat last time, but returns to fences maintaining a solid chance, while Big Jim Beam makes return after a lengthy absence and has some fair form in novice hurdles.

 

19:00 (Hereford) Only Fools

Al Sayah has emerged as the clear short-priced favourite, and that support could well be justified if Neil Mulholland’s four-year-old is able to replicate her dominant four-length success over a similar distance at Fontwell 16 days ago.

Inchiquin Spirit is still searching for her maiden success, and that wait could well continue unless she is able to improve upon her two pulled-up efforts in three outings this year. 

Offering arguably better value is Triple Nickle, who appeared to benefit from an all-weather pipe-opener on the Flat six days before coming second over hurdle at Ffos Las a couple of weeks ago.

Pick of our bunch, however, is the top-rated and duly top-weighted Only Fools, who cut her hurdling teeth with two wins and handful of near misses on the French circuit two seasons ago.

Her subsequent move across the Channel to David Pipe’s yard resulted in wind surgery within a few months, since when the five-year-old has further advertised her hurdling capabilities with a couple of wins over the last six months. 

The most recent of those successes came in heavy going at Fontwell in late March, so she clearly has the ability to bounce back from a less auspicious mid-division finish at the same venue last time out 16 days ago.

Pipe’s runners boast a 63 percent place rate at the Hereford track, and in a race of this nature, and in the capable hands of Jack Tudor, she looks good value to make the each-way frame in a race of this nature. 

 

19:30 (Pontefract) Hardy Boy

 

Hardy Boy suffered a couple of near misses last season and can start this season with a bang in the Get Free Bets At Planetsportbet Rewards Handicap Chase.

Beaten a neck into second twice at Taunton over two miles and seven furlongs in January, he was stepped up to three miles and one at this venue, finishing third.

Coming back in distance to two miles and five is not a negative off the same mark and cut in the ground will be to his benefit.

 

20:00 (Hereford) Good Impression

The mid-morning withdrawal of early market leader Jaxonne has had an inevitable knock-on effect of the betting, with last-time-out course-distance winner Captain Attridge emerging as his obvious replacement in the favourite mantle.

He could well overcome his five-pound penalty to replicate that win of 17 days ago, but his short price lacks the appeal of his closest market challenger, Colonel Lesley.

Under appreciably less weight, this proven eight-year-old could well outrank the favourite in more than name alone, if able to build on the performance that saw him hit the ground running after a 10-month break to finish second of 12 on season debut at Plumpton 12 days ago

Valid arguments could also be made for the likes of No More Bolero and Lindwall, but it is one of the less-fancied outsiders that has, perhaps unsurprisingly, caught the eye of Tipstrr’s each-way specialists.

Nine-year-old Good Impression is the oldest runner in the field, but with those advancing years comes the winning experience that could prove invaluable in a race like this.

Alongside a plethora of near misses, Bernard Llewellyn’s gelding has eight career wins under his belt, two of which came last season, both at Newton Abbot.

He finished his 2023 campaign with a runner-up spot at the same venue, and has been eased gently back into action this term following a well-earned five-month winter break.

Sixth of nine in a pipe-opener at Uttoxeter in early April, Good Impression showed immediate progress when finished a decent fourth of 13 on his next (and last) outing at Ffos Las 17 days ago.

The recent rain should produce conditions to his liking, and with both trainer and jockey (Ben Jones) in decent form, it would be no surprise to see them outrun their double-digit odds to force their way into the frame.

 

Bet minimum £20+ cash on any runner in the race and if the qualifying terms are met, as detailed below, earn a £5 free bet for every £20+ cash bet, or a £20 free bet for every £100+ cash bet

 

Hereford
17.20	if the favourite wins (includes co and joint)
17.55	if Mactavish wins by over 5 lengths
18.30	if Pittsburg is in the 1st 3
19.00	if Al Sayah wins by over 5 lengths
19.30	if Riskintheground wins by over 8 lengths
20.00	if Good Impression is in the 1st 3