Saturday Selections

Good morning all,

We had a better Saturday last week, with Graphite a good winner from the picks, and I'm looking to follow up with another decent priced winner from the big sprints at Ripon.

There's also a couple of mentions for two I like now jumps tracing returns at Rasen tonight, so read on to find out where my pennies are going today.

3.10 Ripon – Silver Consolation (6f)

Pace in this is pretty much spread across the track, but it looks slightly stronger among the low numbers, with Danzan in stall 2 and Flying Pursuit in stall 3 looking likely to take them along. Bossipop in stall 18 and pace-presser Mythmaker in 19 should be prominent among the high numbers, and Bossipop, who goes so well here at Ripon, has half a chance of bagging the rail and if he does, he ought to be there at the finish. 

Up the middle, I Am A Dreamer has a chance too. He basically seems to save his best for Ripon these days, with his record since joining Paul Midgely reading 1602 (that sixth being a length sixth to Staxton in the Great St Wilfrid last year, and that from 6lb higher) and his best effort this season coming here in June, when a ¾l second to future Stewards Cup winner Commanche Falls, and that now looks very good form. It’s possible to find excuses for three below-par efforts since then (another moderate run at York, a track he seems to have fallen out with, then poorly placed at Musselburgh and headgear last time didn’t work) and I’d not be ruling him out at a big price. 

3.45 Ripon – Great St Wilfrid Handicap (6f)

Maybe we’ll have got a couple of clues from the previous heat, but as it stands I’ll take one from high and one from low here. 

My Wagyu did me a small favour at Goodwood two weeks ago and this progressive sprinter can’t be discounted, but another 8lb on his back might be a tough ask. However what he, and a few other speedy sorts drawn near him might do, is form a bit more of an arrowhead formation up the middle here. There should be plenty of room out on the wings, and with that, I do like the chance of Intrinsic Bond from stall 20. 

Normally, for a slow starter, being drawn up the rail would be a worry as he may get boxed in, but as I say, there may be a bit more room that expected and he should be able to secure a run. From seemingly nowhere, he really has found some good form on his last two starts, and his narrow defeat here on his latest start reads very well. He’s improving, gets on well with Connor Beasley, is bang in form and for the price, there’s a lot to like. 

I can tell you without even having spoken to him that my work partner, Mr Delargy, will like Staxton, because it’s Ripon ain’t it? And if it’s Ripon then you have to look at Staxton, who has a record here of 235111, which makes him look a knocking bet with the extra places. Not only that, somehow they seem to always have him on a workable mark when the big races come around. He won this off 88 last year and having won off 91 here earlier in the year, is only a pound higher today. 

Another that I’ve put up earlier in the year, Justanotherbottle gets a pair of blinkers for the first time today, so I looked at Kevin Ryan’s record with his horses when he equips them with blinkers, and it’s reasonable. 2-21 with two others placed over the past five years and interestingly one of the winners was Hey Jonesy when taking the Wokingham in 2020. So there’s evidence he can make it work in a big-field handicap with them, and I’ll have to have a saver on him from what could be a good draw in stall 19. In fact, I’d be an idiot not to try a small “rails” forecast, with Intrinsic Bond and Justanotherbottle, just in case…

2.55 Newbury

The TV card at Newbury, in the main, makes little appeal for betting purposes but I will have small all-or-nothing bet on Jack’s Point here, given this looks a bit less competitive than a few races he’s been in this year, and he gets a chance to lead from stall 1, which historically is the place to be, according to the stats I’m looking at. 

You do need to be the forgiving type though, as his last two runs have been pretty poor, but his first run this season, in the Victoria Cup, wasn’t as bad as it first looks. He finished midfield but “won” his group on the unfavoured far side, and it suggests he still has something to offer. The handicapper is doing all he can to help, and quotes of 20-1 and bigger look a bit rude for a horse with his basic ability, despite there being some improving 3yos in the field that hold much better chances. 

Jump racing returns after a break as well (hurrah!) and it wouldn’t be right if I didn’t mention a couple I like the look of at Rasen tonight.  Mariners Moon in the 6.05 is working his way back to full fitness after a long layoff and has shaped really well on his last two starts. He looks ready to win again now, and this is not a strong contest. Writteninthesand (6.35) in still fairly unexposed and now, after a break and a wind operation, might be the time to catch him. Tom George has a very good record with them first time after wind surgery and he can improve that record here. 

Today’s selection – I Am A Dreamer (e/w) 3.10 Ripon

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Good luck with all your bets today,

David.