The horse racing broadcaster offers up his five selections for Saturday's racing at Newbury and Ripon.
With the sun still blazing away and racing in the lull between Goodwood and York, once again it is one of the lower profile weekends with ITV coverage spread across three venues, Newbury, Ripon and the Grey horse handicap at Newmarket.
The feature races are at Newbury where William Haggas can land a double courtesy of DUBAI HONOUR 13/8 (13:25 Newbury) and SCOVILLE 9/4 (14:35 Newbury).
It is class coupled with no penalty which look to be Dubai Honour’s main asset as he steps up to this trip for the first time. Whilst the ‘Group 1’s’ he has been contesting in Australia would hardly cut the mustard as top-level middle-distance races over here, they are still decent quality affairs and he represents different form lines to regular rivals Mount Atlas and Tabletalk who again go head-to-head. Even on 3lb worse terms Mount Atlas may confirm the York form but there is clearly little between them. The trip is a query for Dubai Honour but there looks to be no great pace and likely pacesetter Gamrai could have a soft time up front. He has changed hands since his Ascot second and given his new connections it would be no surprise if he was purchased with an eye to a Middle East campaign during the winter. Horses on their first run after leaving the Gosdens are 64/830 (A/E 0.84) and it may be Gamrai’s bigger targets for his new yard are further down the line which would again count in Dubai Honour’s favour.
The case for Scoville is a straightforward one in that both his last two runs have not shown him to anything like his best effect. At Ascot, he led the disadvantaged group at a solid gallop and was entitled to drop away on both fronts so his seventh was far better than it looks on paper and at Goodwood he was forced to do too much from his wide gate and again didn’t see his race out. Back in trip in calmer waters here he can dictate in a race where most of his main opponents are usually ridden more quietly, and he looks the best bet of the day.
Finally at Newbury, RHYTHM N HOOVES 13/2 (13:55 Newbury) won this race off a much higher mark last season (87 vs 78 here). Not surprisingly given that fall he has been winless since, but it would be no surprise if this race had featured high on the list of potential targets as his mark has continued to slide. A couple of placings at Windsor show he still retains ability and he also handles fast ground well and he can win the race again.
It is a shame that Ripon doesn’t feature as main site for ITV as it is a well-maintained traditional racecourse that would televise really well. Attempts were made for this to be the base this year, but it needs a stronger support card to back up the Great St. Wilfrid and its consolation which hopefully can be addressed in the future with perhaps the moving of one of their two-year-old races. In a strange quirk the presence of Aramram in the feature race means due to the weights structure there are more in the Consolation and several of the jockeys won’t be able to sample what are some of the best Fish and Chips on a racecourse anywhere in the country with several trying to get down to 8st 2lb. This gives the race a lop-sided look and FAST TRACK HARRY 5/1 (15:25 Ripon) looks ideally positioned to take advantage. Rated 95 he could usually expect to carry more than 8st 12lb in a race like this and those towards the bottom face some classier level performers than usual. Being drawn in stall 8 gives his rider Jack Nicholls options based on how the Silver Cup has panned out half an hour earlier, whilst there only being 15 and with the stalls positioned on the stands side it is far more doubtful that many will head for the inside rail.
That is not the case in the Silver Cup where there are several more familiar names with those towards the top of the weights no doubt frustrated as to not being able to run in the feature and Old MARK’S CHOICE 20/1 (14:55 Ripon) sneaking into the foot of the field. His record at record at Ripon is an astonishing 10 wins from 30 runs with his expected wins on Exchange SP’s just 3.56, so massively outrunning his odds. He can go well drawn right under the stands rail and the price at the time of writing means once again his chance looks to have been under appreciated at the ‘Garden Racecourse’.
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