WE will be on weather watch on Friday evening and Saturday as the ground could turn testing at Newbury, Ripon and Newmarket. This racing is certainly competitive as it stands with plenty each way opportunities.
Enjoy weather at a racecourse or watching #athome on ITV Racing.
Cheers!
The Wine Tipster
2.40 Ripon – Silver Trophy Handicap (6f)
Fortamour ticks plenty of boxes for this, as he loves Ripon with a record of three victories from twelve starts at the course. He had a near miss here earlier this month, when beaten by a nose last time out when just failing to secure the victory in the soft. Fortamour clearly goes well with some cut (Ripon looking to get 10mm Friday night/Saturday at present) and is bang in form so there is no reason not to run his race and has a strong chance.
3.00 Newbury – Summer Sizzler Handicap (7f)
Classic for Unibet Ambassador Richard Hannon, who I originally selected for the Qatar Goodwood Festival when a non-runner, delivered a career best performance at Sandown’s Eclipse meeting and this son of Dubawi, who has always looked like he can become a smart performer can step up again. At the 2022 Qatar Goodwood Festival Classic finished second to The Foxes (winner of the Dante) just beaten a neck when favourite in an EBF Maiden Stakes so we know he goes well at the course and ignore his last start here earlier in the season. Also, ground won’t be a problem, as Classic has won on soft, he is in good form and has strong claims.
Lyndon B looks a big price, given some good efforts at this track, including a neck second in a big field here last September, and he now two pounds lower than that. He has probably needed all three runs this season to get fit and he never wins before July/early August in the season, so best probably yet to come this term. Lyndon B goes on all ground and Daniel Muscutt, who has a good record on him (two wins from four rides) is back on board.
3.15 Ripon – Great St Wilfrid Handicap (6f)
Lakota Blue (nap) can’t have it soft enough and was a course and distance winner in soft ground here in April. He is 5lb higher today but that’s deserved given his performances since, including when second in soft ground at the Qatar Festival at Goodwood last time when running on really well late on. That race was over five furlongs and looking at that race again the step back up to six furlongs is no issue and with the likelihood that it is going to rain Friday evening/Saturday he has a really strong chance.
Aramis Grey has mostly run on the all-weather this season and has been very consistent too, with some strong performances. Two starts ago she was good third to Get Ahead in at Haydock and if taking to Ripon can run a big race.
3.35 Newbury – Hungerford Stakes Group 2 (7f)
Mostabshir by Dark Angel is a half-brother to the smart Mostahdaf and has the class to take an open Hungerford Stakes. Mostabshir won at York in May and was sixth behind Paddington in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot ahead of finishing fourth Nostrum in a Listed race at Newmarket. This three-year-old can finally show what a good type he is in ground he should cope with given his dam Handassa won in testing conditions.
