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RIPON and Newbury hold court this afternoon on the flat racing front before the Ebor meeting at York creeps up upon us and the Great St Wilfrid Handicap (Ripon, 3.20) tops the bill at the North Yorkshire track with a consolation event to boot as well.

In the main race, there are surprisingly only two course and distance winners set to line up which is not the norm for such a specialist track with its undulations. Ruth Carr has her team in cracking form at the moment and her Rousing Encore could well start favourite on the back of the yard’s strike rate in the past couple of months with a big level stake profit.

However, this is a wide open event and there are plenty of each-way alternatives at double figure prices with Prince of Pillo, Kodiac Thriller and top weight NOSTRUM possibly the pick of the pack.

The first named won a nice prize on the all-weather at Southwell earlier on this season and is now set to run off the same mark of 88. Kodiac Thriller was a wee bit unlucky last time out when a beaten favourite over the course and distance, when just touched off by another of today’s rivals Mister Sox, there should be very little between them on these revised terms. On that occasion, First Folio was a never nearer sixth and also comes into the equation.

However, the selection is the dark horse in this contest having finished placed in a Group Three last year and mainly raced over seven furlongs or a mile in his 12-race career. This will be his first ever run over six furlongs, but he has a high cruising speed and this will be his first ever run in a handicap. A double figure price with enhanced place terms with most bookmakers could see him become one of the springers on the day.

The consolation event is the Silver Cup Handicap at 2.45 and if anything, looks even more competitive with 16 runners spread across the width of the track.

Unless there is a major gamble, the bookmakers are likely to offer at least 5/1 the field, if not bigger and I think the BRAZILIAN ROSE is well worth an each-way play drawn in stall two and with the talented Harry Burns taking 3lbs off taking her mark down to 71, 1lb below her last winning mark when she chalked up a double at Newcastle at the beginning of 2025. Soft ground would have been no use to her last time out when she stumbled at the start in a class four handicap at Hamilton and this fast surface will be much more her cup of tea.

Of her rivals, I also have the utmost respect for one of a number of course and distance winners, Havanna Rum who has run consistently well this year. Set to run off a season low rating of 58 thanks to the booking of 7lbs claimer Ethan Tindall, the five-year-old could be a live wire fancy at around the 20/1 marker. A winner off 63 here earlier in his career, he has since been placed off as high as 73 three times last autumn and is handicapped to go very close here granted luck in running and he is worth a saver if coming in for support in the market place.

Elsewhere on the card, have a second look at the progressive CARRON (3.50) in the one mile handicap. A clear cut winner at Leicester over the stiff seven furlongs, the extra 220 yards on a sharper track should suit him admirably. 

There are some old seasoned campaigners set to line up in the concluding mile-and-a-quarter handicap at 4.59, but in receipt of weight all-round, TIBERIO FORCE could be the each-way call.

At Newbury, PINHOLE (1.50) is one of three runners from the classic generation up against three older horses in the Geoffrey Freer Stakes, can take another step forward following an impressive win in a class two handicap at Ascot off a mark of 98. This step back up in trip looks a positive and he can take care of the six-year-old Epic Poet.

The feature Hungerford Stakes (3.35) should see More Thunder go off a fairly tight favourite following a last gasp win in the Bunbury Cup Handicap at Newmarket. He deserves his place at this higher level, but at bigger prices, the equally unexposed King’s Gamble and GREAT GENERATION make much more appeal.

The selection won the Group Three Chartwell Fillies Stakes at Lingfield, but then found the drop to six furlongs and the step up to Group One company in the QEII Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot simply too hot to handle. This extra furlong and lower grade should help and I don’t think that this filly has stopped improving yet.

There are some nice prizes up for grabs at Newmarket this afternoon where former winner SILVER SAMURAI (2.05) can once again pounce late and land the Grey Horse Handicap.

The feature Fillies Handicap may go the way of the Marco Botti trained LALIQUE. The three-year-old daughter of Siyouni is set to have only her fourth career start and wouldn’t have been suited by the slow pace in a novice event Southwell last time out. There are at least two runners in this small field that like to race prominently so she should get a lovely tow into this contest.

One of the better bets this afternoon could come at Doncaster where NINTH LIFE (5.25) may defy top weight for the in-form Ruth Carr yard. He was took keen off a soft pace at Lingfield last time out and a faster run mile and a quarter looks more suitable.