The pick of the Saturday prices....

Friday, 16th August 2024

The pick of the Saturday prices….

It’s Ripon’s big day in the spotlight tomorrow….

…. with the Great St Wilfrid representing the feature handicap event….

…. and the Silver Trophy acting as a good back-up….

Down at Newbury there’s the TPT Fire Handicap over 7f ….

… and at Newmarket the Grey Horse Handicap is an interesting target….

Let’s crack on….

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In the Great St Wilfrid – 3.20….

Some readers don’t get it….

…. but if I fancy two at a price in a big-field handicap like tomorrow’s Great St Wilfrid at Ripon….

…. I have no qualms whatsoever about backing both runners….

I like SECRET GUEST at the 16s….

…. because he can build on his recent reappearance at Redcar….

Off for 63 days having undergone a wind-operation….

…. and with the cheekpieces – worn for the first time in June – removed….

…. he produced a career-best turf performance on the RPR scale….

If he’d been labouring with a breathing problem, the recent procedure appears to have done the trick….

…. he ran on well and you’d think he’ll come forward again for a race in which the pace likely wasn’t quite strong enough for him….

That something that won’t be a problem tomorrow – with a bigger field and plenty of early speed spread all across the track….

On a mark of 86 – just a pound ahead of his last winning rating – he looks overpriced….

The other one I like is ROCK OPERA at the 16s….

Richard Fahey’s charge raced just last night at Windsor where he ran on well from the back….

…. with the race having got away from him up front….

It’s a big ask to go down to Windsor and then up to Ripon – contesting two races in less than 48-hours….

…. but he’s in the form of his life right now – improving at a rate of knots….

…. and I was told this morning (when I rang the yard) that he’s an intended runner….

The shape of tomorrow’s race will certainly suit….

…. there’s plenty of pace on early-doors – and that might just play perfectly into the 4yo’s come-late-from-behind style of running….

Common sense tells me this wasn’t Plan A – but the iron is hot, connections clearly hope to strike, and I can’t let him run unbacked at the big price….

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In the Silver Trophy – 2.45….

GLENDOWN is the pick for me at the 11s….

Tim Easterby has conceded that he doesn’t know what the horse’s best trip is – 5f or 6f….

…. for me – on the evidence in the book – it’s the longer trip….

Not that it stopped the horse winning over 5f just over a week ago at Pontefract….

…. but let’s not forget that’s a pretty stiff 5f test….

…. and he was moving away from the rest nicely at the end….

That win represented a bounce back to form and he’ll need to back it up….

… but he’s only up 4lbs to 67 – meaning he’s still nicely treated on old form….

…. and Duran Fentiman – who consistently gets a good tune out of the horse – is in the saddle again….

He’s won over track and trip – so we know he handles the undulations….

…. and that last performance suggests he’s in pretty good heart right now….

He’s a fair price….

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In the TPT Fire Handicap – 3.00….

STREETS OF GOLD has slipped down the handicap a little to a mark of 102….

…. and I like him at the general 12s back over the specialist trip of 7f on genuine decent ground….

He hasn’t had that combination of variables too many times in his 14 career goes….

…. but – when he has – he’s produced some of his best efforts and I expect a decent performance tomorrow….

He ran well in May in the Victoria Cup at Ascot – where he was 6/21….

…. a performance bookended by two disappointing goes over a mile and over 6f in a G3….

Like I say, the specialist 7f sees him to best effect….

…. and he ran a big race at Chepstow just last week – denied late – over 7f but on ground probably a little softer than ideal….

He might have just needed that as a sharpener after a 50-day absence from the track….

…. and whilst he’s top-weight – and giving enough to the low-ranked favourite – he’s pretty smart and could well significantly outrun a double-figure price….

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In the Grey Horse Handicap – 2.05….

STRIKE is an in-form horse up against opposition that hasn’t been firing of late….

…. he’s won three times from four this term over 6f on decent ground….

…. and he’s only gone up 8lb….

He could still have more to come off 72 and he’s back on a track he won at as recently as June….

At 9/2 his price isn’t massive – but it makes sense in a 9-runner affair against opposition in tepid form….

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That’s all for today….

I’ll be back on Tuesday with my picks for Day 1 at York’s Ebor meeting….

Meantime – contact me direct at nick.pullen@oxonpress.co.uk  

And remember – win, lose or draw – enjoy the racing….

Stay tuned….

Against the Crowd