IT IS Ripon’s big racing day of the year tomorrow with the Great St Willfrid Handicap on a hugely competitive card at the garden track, but for the sake of the nap I am going to play in the consolation event which is due off at 2.05.

Sometimes it is hard to tell where the pace is going to come from in these big field handicaps and like most punters I like to have a horse on either side of the track as the field normally splits in two.

However, I am really sweet on the claims of HANDSOME DUDE, pulled out of a contest at Haydock Park last week because the ground was way too fast.