THE Group Two Hungerford Stakes is the big race of the weekend if you are looking forward to black-type races. But if, like me, handicaps are your thing, then the Great St Wilfrid Handicap (3.45) at Ripon will be your focus along with other valuable handicaps at Newbury and Newmarket.

The garden track of Yorkshire has 20 runners in both the feature event and the consolation (due off at 3.10). The two races are worth dissecting on a standalone basis, as it is more about where the pace comes from in each race rather than the first race mirroring the second, as far as favouring one side of the track over the other goes.

Both races have a maximum of 20 runners and, with the ground drying out all the time, the old boy Mr Lupton could run well. Connor Murtagh has taken a valuable three pounds off his back, putting him to within 2lbs of the rating he ran off when he came a close-up third to Staxton in the 2020 renewal.

But the one to be on this time around could well be SOLDIER’S MINUTE. This classy six-year-old has for the majority of his life been racing off marks between 98 and 100, but he is now down to 94 — as low as he has been in the handicap since way back in May 2019.

Very lightly raced in the last eight months – this is only his second run since December 2020 – you get the feeling that this has been his main aim since then.

He went along as though he was badly in need of the run in a strong Class Two at York during the Dante Festival, coming last of 18 (weakened at the quarter-mile pole). He then went to the wrong side of the track when fourth of fifth in a conditions race at Hamilton Park last time out.

But this should be more his cup of tea, and the selection has his fair share of speed around him having been put in stall 15, which is the stands’ side of the track.

If you want a back-up among the low numbers, Brad The Brief may well outrun his best odds of 25/1 under Kieren Schofield.

A winner of a Group Three at Chantilly last October, the five-year-old has run in three Group races since — twice over seven furlongs, which he doesn’t quite see out. So the drop to a rapidly run six could prove right up his street, and with his rider’s claim he is only three pounds higher than for his last run.

The consolation race also looks a difficult puzzle. Bottom weight True Mason looks very nicely treated, but connections would have liked more give in the turf for their charge and preference is for those drawn high, where it seems the majority of the speed is.

That makes TROUBADOR a hugely interesting each-way play and my value nap of the day. The four-year-old has really fallen from grace in the last 14 months having been placed off a mark of 99 and has now plummeted to 84.

A soft pace on his last two outings has been no good for him this season, but three outings back he was a good fourth over seven furlongs at York. You could in no way announce him as an outstanding bet, but should he come back to his best form he could well be thrown in here, and it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if he was to be very well backed on the day.

Away from the Yorkshire track there are two Group races at Newbury, with the Hungerford Stakes looking like a really good renewal.

Al Suhail is likely to start favourite following on from a really good spring festival at Meydan and his comeback run in the UK; a third of nine in the Summer Stakes at Ascot behind Tilsit was a fair enough run.

But he looks short enough in the betting for me, and I would much rather have an each-way play on the filly SACRED.

Very lightly raced in her three-year-old term, the William Haggas-trained runner followed up her win in the Nell Gwyn Stakes with a cracking seventh of 11 in the 1,000 Guineas, and was only beaten by four-and-three-quarter lengths. She has reportedly been working well in the past month and the return to seven furlongs looks a massive plus, with more improvement in the locker.

Also at Newbury, have a second look at TAWAAREQ in the one-and-a-quarter-mile handicap due off at 4.00, while earlier on, GOLDEN PASS may take the scalp of the likely favourite Hukum in the Group Three Geoffrey Freer Stakes at 2.20.

But the second best bet of the day could come at Town Moor, where old ATHOLLBLAIR BOY (nb) has been given a really good chance by the handicapper in the Doncaster 1.22.

The old stager just finds six furlongs on the sharp side, and if young partner Aiden Brookes can hold him up for as long as possible on his favoured fast ground, his turn of foot should be the deciding factor here.