Hi all,
On the Saturday before York’s Ebor Festival, ITV Racing will focus on Newbury. The highlight of the Newbury card is the Group 2 Visit Malta Hungerford Stakes (3.35). The Group 3 Highclere Thoroughbred Racing Geoffrey Freer Stakes (1.50) is the other Group race on the card.
The ITV cameras will also be at Ripon, where the William Hill/MND Association Great St Wilfrid Handicap (3.20) is the pick of two races and Newmarket stages its race for the Grey’s the Jenningsbet Grey Horse Handicap (2.05).
Inside today's main piece I am focusing on Ripon's Great St Wilfrid Handicap.
Ripon: Great St Wilfrid Handicap
The Great St Wilfrid Handicap, run over six furlongs, is one of Ripon’s feature races. Named after the town’s patron saint, it normally draws a good field of sprinters and often produces nail-biting finishes.
Ripon’s straight track looks flat but has subtle undulations. Some horses don’t handle it. I’ve always thought of it as a specialists’ course, but in the last ten running’s only 3 winners from 53 runners had won here before.
One trend worth noting: horses with fewer than one or more than two wins on the prevailing going are 0 from 91 in the past ten year, though 18 managed to place.
Draw bias? I used to think you wanted to be on either rail and avoid the middle. Wrong. In fact, stalls 1–5 are 0 from 45, with just 7 places. The one part of the track you haven’t wanted to be is in the first quarter of the draw.
Contenders:
Annaf – Top weight but class act on his day. Unlucky in the Stewards’ Cup when denied a clear run 1f out. Now 1lb lower than when winning the Portland Handicap in 2023. Could be using this as a stepping stone for another Portland tilt but this is good prize to win.
Rousing Encore – Just behind Rock Opera at York last time. In good form this season for Ruth Carr and thrives in big-field handicaps. Likely to go close.
Rock Opera – Richard Fahey took this race last year and in 2015. He runs three this year, and this one might be best of them. Good third at York last time.
Grand Grey – Runner-up to Group 1 winner Sajir in the Abernant Stakes at Newmarket on debut for Kevin Ryan. Not matched that form since, but a reproduction of that Newmarket run would put him in the mix on handicap debut.
City Walk – From Saeed bin Suroor’s yard and is another classy sprinter on his day. He’s suited by speed favouring tracks and the drop back to 6f is a plus. Races prominently, which should be a positive here.
Mister Sox – C&D winner last time has been in good nick this year. Sure to be popular with punters on the day.
Orazio – Well-handicapped if he’s on a going day, now 6lb lower than when narrowly beaten in last year’s Wokingham Handicap. However, his going days are rather infrequent.
There won't be a Thursday column this week as I am out enjoying the summer weather today.
All the best with your Wednesday bets.
John