The Punt Daily: Tom Collins' free horse racing tips on Friday

EYECATCHER

Gossip Column(6.55 Chester)

Marwan Koukash loves having winners around Chester and the predicted morning drizzle should work in the favour of his Gossip Column, who sparked back into life with a narrow success at York when last seen. His mark had slowly fallen from a high of 92 at the end of last season to 83 at the start of June, and Gossip Column almost exploited that on his first attempt with a fine third over 1m4½f on soft ground here. That was clearly a sign of intent and the four-year-old duly went two better when turned out off the same mark at York, staying on strongly to pull clear with the runner-up. He's back up 3lb for that win but remains well handicapped on old form and has form figures of 51163 at this track.

GOOD THING

Breanski (5.45 Ascot)

The booking of Finley Marsh on Breanski in Ascot's closing apprentice handicap is a shrewd move by the in-form Jedd O'Keeffe (5-18, 28 per cent strike-rate in the last two weeks) and that can hopefully pay dividends. Marsh, who has never ridden for the trainer but is clearly one of the best jockeys in the race, is a marked step up in rider on this five-year-old, who ran with plenty of encouragement under an inexperienced pilot when fifth of 19 at York last time. He stayed on well from an unpromising position to not be beaten far at the line and that suggested he is ready to capitalise off his reduced mark of 80 in the near future. A replica of his three-and-three-quarter-length ninth of 20 in a Class 2 handicap on his sole start at Ascot last September would suffice.

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