Wetherby free racing tips: Outsider can defy odds at favoured venue

13:50 Wetherby: Bet365 Handicap Hurdle (2½ miles)

Foster’sisland knows his way around this circuit and although he is yet to win here, his course-distance figures are 32425 from five completed starts in Class 3 handicaps, two of them off higher marks than this.

The last time he ran over this trip off today’s mark was back in January and, under today’s rider, Emma Smith-Chaston, he finished second of nine in what was a far stronger 0-137 contest.

This is clearly an easier opportunity for Foster’sisland, so a similar performance will give him a good chance because he wasn’t beaten far by the 128-rated race favourite, Santos Blue, who has since won again off 132 and who is now rated 136 (11lbs higher than today’s standard).

Best Bet: Foster’sisland each-way in the 13:50 at Wetherby

That course-distance handicap took place on genuinely soft ground, which may have been a bit slow for Foster’sisland, who has recorded two of his last three wins on good-soft, including an eight-length win in this grade at Bangor in late March, that being another Class 3 handicap over today’s trip.

Foster’sisland won that Bangor race off today’s mark of 124, and today’s rider was in the saddle, so again, another similar effort would make him a big player at the very least.

Of the others, the Irish raider, Isle Of Sark, looks likely to go well as he comes here race-fit following a near-miss in a 2½-mile maiden at Sedgefield a month ago.

Still very lightly raced in this sphere (runner-up twice in four runs), his best effort came at Tramore in August, where he finished second of 12 behind a very useful-looking winner who immediately switched to chasing and promptly beat a field of 13 rivals by seven lengths.

Far less exposed than today’s rivals, and holding a fitness advantage on all but one of them, he could have been found a good opportunity to make his handicap debut.

Next Best Bet: Isle Of Sark in the 13:50 at Wetherby

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