Nottingham best bets: Enderman and Rayat lead each-way hopes in wide open handicap sprint

19:10 Nottingham: Lesley Matthews Memorial Handicap  (6 furlongs)

A tepid betting market has Dark Dreamer as a somewhat unconvincing favourite, and he certainly fits the bill after landing his second win of the season over this course and distance 17 days ago.

Ray Vonn is expected to pose a serious threat as the only other last-time-out winner (also over this very trip eight weeks ago), while three-time winner Vince Lombardi came within the length of a horse’s head of adding to his tally over this distance at Ffos Las a fortnight ago.

Also looking to go one better than his last outing is Paul Midgley’s Enderman, whose two career success in 44 attempts include a course-distance victory here last August.

He arrives off the back of four straight runner-up near misses, two of which also came over this course and distance, including last time out just over three weeks ago.

This is in much stronger 0-75 company, but he remains in the capable hands of Dougie Costello, who rode one of our Thursday selections, Sergeant Pep, to a 12/1 success on Thursday, and will be hopeful of steering Enderman into at least a frame finish here.

Suggested best bet: Enderman each-way in the 19:10 at Nottingham

• Tip advised by DHT Tips on Tipstrr

Elsewhere in our search for each-way value, the eye is also drawn towards the lightly-raced Rayat, who could be poised to put in good performance for Saeed bin Suroor.

Not raced until his winning debut as a four-year-old on Wolverhampton’s all-weather track in April last year, he finished his three-race 2023 campaign with a decent fourth of 12 at Newbury in July, before being put away for an extended 10-month break.

Of particular interest is the decision to drop Rayat significantly in distance to his first attempt over six furlongs, having never raced less than a mile in his four outings to date.

The reason behind this move could fall anywhere between inspiration and desperation, but bin Suroor rarely sends his charges out if he thinks they have no chance.

With that in mind, Rayat might just be worth an each-way punt, especially considering the yard’s impressive record at the Nottingham track, where bin Suroor has saddled 10 winners and a further 10 places from just 36 runners (28% win rate, 56% place rate).

Outsider punt: Rayat each-way in the 19:10 at Nottingham

• Tip advised by The EW Handicapper on Tipstrr