Horse racing tips: Dave Nevison's best bets for Friday evening

I am pleased to see at least eight runners will contest each of the handicaps at Newmarket on Friday evening where I have three selections. Best of luck!

5.45 Newmarket: Counsel

He's not bred to be a sprinter, but turning him into one looks as though it may be a smart move judged on his demolition job to lose his maiden over seven furlongs last time.

Counsel was an odds-on shot and certainly won like one, scoring by 6 ½ lengths at Lingfield after making all. He has gradually been dropped down in trip over the last two seasons and his form has got better just about every time, so I am happy to accept that sometimes a pedigree does not prove to be the best predictor.

Counsel is a little headstrong but not a tearaway and, given that the July course favours horses racing from the front, I feel he can follow up in this more competitive event.

6.48 Newmarket: Fulfilled

He's improved going handicapping this season and looks better than this 0-70 grade.

Fulfilled was set to demonstrate the point last time at Sandown when looking set to get through a gap but the door closed abruptly giving him no time to recover. He had previously won a similar race to this and over this course and distance in good style and looked very much one to be with on that occasion, so I imagine plenty of punters are willing to give him another chance this evening.

David Simcock is currently in excellent form and Jamie Spencer has been on board for both his win and latest unlucky run.

7.58 Newmarket: Bashosh

I am not entirely convinced Bashosh is going to prove best at a mile as he looked a middle-distance horse in the making this spring, but a mile is as far as he has ever won over and he ran a good race at Chelmsford last time.

He has been gelded subsequently, possibly on advice of his jockey who rides without the claim this time, and if that sharpens up Bashosh’s racing brain he could prove himself very well handicapped.

I also think he could find himself in a favourable position in this race given there are not many prominent racers and he may have the class to get in front of these rivals and not let them get past.