Chris Cook found a 20-1 winner at Exeter - see who else he suggests to look out for on Friday

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Tilly no silly bet for in-form Henry Daly

Henry Daly made a quiet start to the year, going 0-23 through January, but is now roaring along with four winners from the same number of runners this month, including a 16-1 handicap chase success.

He also pinged a couple of shots off the bar at Ascot on Saturday, so this is clearly his best month since last February.

His sole runner today is Tilly Toughnut, a point-to-point winner making her handicap debut in a hurdles race at Exeter (2.33). She achieved little in three novice spins but it could be no surprise to see her taking a hand here.

She's out of a half-sister to Sir Rembrandt, whose storming finish in the 2004 Gold Cup very nearly foiled Best Mate's hat-trick attempt.

Tilly Toughnut14:33 Exeter

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Jky: Richard Patrick Tnr: Henry Daly

Autocrat looks ready to dictate

Denis Hogan is having one of his best months, with three winners from 16 runners on the Flat, as well as a 12-1 success in a Navan handicap chase recently.

Denis Hogan: trainer of AutocratCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Autocrat is the most interesting of the three he sends to Dundalk (6.45) tonight. He's 1lb higher than when he won over this course and distance for Hogan last April, since when he's been through a handful of other yards.

He ran above his rating when second in a claimer in December, his most recent outing and his last start for James McAuley.

Autocrat18:45 Dundalk (A.W)

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Jky: J M Sheridan Tnr: Denis Gerard Hogan

Racing Country back at the scene of big gamble

Racing Country attracted a lot of market interest last month before scoring at Wolverhampton on his first start for Newmarket-based Martin Dunne.

It was the nine-year-old's first success since the summer of 2018, when he was with Saeed bin Suroor and rated 88. He was returned at 5-1 after opening at 20s but it was a bit of a scramble in the end, so there's every chance he'll be sharper for that first outing since March and appreciative of the longer trip in tonight's 1m4f handicap at Wolverhampton (7.00).

He's been given four weeks to recover and is just 3lb higher on a mark of 64, which surely still understates his ability. There's every chance of a follow-up victory.

Racing Country19:00 Wolverhampton (A.W)

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Jky: Darragh Keenan Tnr: Martin Dunne

Punting pointers for Friday

1. The Class 5 Exeter handicap hurdle which Asian Spice won at 28-1 on November 10 last year has worked out extraordinarily well. Danton, Little Pi, Major Fortune, Daany, Only Fools and Loudspeaker have all won since, while Imperial Measure and Filanderer have both finished second on two subsequent occasions, while Rollo’s Kingdom has twice finished third. Asian Spice, who is trained by Jimmy Frost, followed up that success on a return visit to Exeter a fortnight later, and bids for a third course-and-distance win. You can put a line through her last-time-out defeat which came in a non-handicap over a significantly longer trip at odds of 33-1.

Asian Spice14:33 Exeter

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Jky: Bryony Frost Tnr: Jimmy Frost

2. Sam England has a well-deserved reputation for maximising winning opportunities for her low-grade handicappers in the north by finding the right races for them. Big Bee Hive, who is rated just 91, made a winning start over fences off 7lb lower over 2m3f of the Durham course this month. After jumping fluently throughout, the seven-year-old powered five lengths clear of Bebside Banter on the run-in, giving the impression he will improve further for this step up in distance. Bebside Banter had won two his three previous starts, while Cudgel, who finished fourth, failed by just a head to fend off Hello Judge at Carlisle on Monday. Once again, England appears to have found the perfect race for Big Bee Hive to sting the bookies.

Big Bee Hive14:24 Sedgefield

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Jky: Jonathan England Tnr: Sam England

3. Micky Hammond is often a trainer to follow at Sedgefield. The Middleham handler has saddled seven winners from 34 runners at the track this season for a strike-rate of 21 per cent. Punters who backed all of those runners to a £1 level stake would have made a profit of £7. Hammond has five runners at the meeting, with course-and-distance scorer Coup De Coeur of significant interest in the concluding handicap hurdle under Brian Hughes.

Coup De Coeur17:08 Sedgefield

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Jky: Brian Hughes Tnr: Micky Hammond

4. The Thames Boatman has always looked a sprinter with the potential to make a splash in quite decent company once learning to settle. The four-year-old returns to action in the 5f handicap with the plum draw in stall one, and still looks fairly treated on his best overall form despite being raised 4lb for a last-time-out Lingfield success in November. His other two wins were both achieved at Wolverhampton.

The Thames Boatman16:55 Wolverhampton (A.W)

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Jky: Finley Marsh Tnr: Richard Hughes

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