Talking Horses: Dare To Hope aims to make amends for Cup flop in big Yorkshire week | Horse racing tips
AAll roads in British racing lead to Yorkshire over the next eight days. While the main attraction is the £6.8 million Ebor Festival in York next week, the £100,000 Great St Wilfrid Handicap at Ripon on Saturday, the highlight of the racecourse’s biggest afternoon of the year, offers punters a tantalising opportunity to get in shape for the challenges ahead.
In a sprint handicap with a large field, the starting point is usually the draw and pace angles, but at Ripon there is little obvious bias in the draw as runners stretch across the course and the field is likely to be split.
Normally the front-runners are favourites at this track, but the pace of Saturday’s race is more than sufficient to suggest that cautious horses such as likely favourite Summerghand will be given the chance to show their finishing sprint.
Summerghand came within a head of the leading winner last year when running on an 8lb higher mark, so he goes into the race with a clear chance. His best form of late, however, has come at seven furlongs and the likely prices mean the four-year-old Dare to hope (3.20) makes a little more attractive.
Richard Fahey’s gelding has already won on the track and over long distances and his weight has been reduced by 2lb since he finished 10th in the Stewards’ Cup last time out when he ran out of space at a crucial stage.
Newbury 1.50: Sumo Sam was well below her best when finishing last of seven at Goodwood in May but she has been operated on the winches since then and would have a clear chance if she could match her winning form from last season’s Group Two Park Hill Stakes at Doncaster.
New Market 2.05: After scoring at the seventh attempt at Ffos Las earlier this month, Nice interview may well be able to build on that at this strange – and somewhat uncompetitive – event for African Grey parrots.
Newbury 2.25: A further optimization of the headgear saw Mykonian He put in his best performance of the year last time out and could be overpriced at around 10:1 on this form.
Ripon2.45: Glendown, 10-1 in the early betting, lost his maiden title at this track and trip last summer and is still below his career high despite a return to form at Pontefract earlier this month.
Quick guide
Greg Woods Saturday Tips
Show
Ripon 1.35 Linwood 2.10 Morte Point 2.45 Glendown (nb) 3.20 Dare To Hope (nap) 3.50 Garden Oasis 4.24 Mr Jetman 4.59 Can Can Girl
Newbury 1.50 Sumo Sam 2.25 Myconian 3.00 Spangled Mac 3.35 English Oak 4.05 Havana Whisper 4.40 Hutchence 5.15 Markoon
Doncaster 1.57 Liberty Coach 2.32 Tobetso 3.07 Wreck It Ryley 3.42 Alseeyerthere 4.16 Chancellor 4.50 Hiya Maite 5.25 Jesmond Dawn
New market 2.05 Fine Interview 2.40 Wheels Of Fire 3.15 Naina 3.45 Cabrera 4.20 Royal Praise 4.55 Adelabella
Perth 3.55 Aerospace 4.30 Southey 5.05 Carnfunnock 5.35 Malangen 6.05 Ballyrashane 6.35 Annie Agnew 7.05 Starlyte 7.35 Stroked
Market Lawn 4.10 Boyles Hill 4.45 Global Esteem 5.20 Dream Jet 5.50 The Gypsy Davey 6.20 Belle Of Annandale 6.50 Mystic Man 7.20 Unwanted Attention 7.50 Bannister
Bath 5.40 Buxted Reel 6.12 Cugini 6.42 Brian The Snail 7.12 Vaunted 7.42 Little Miss Magic 8.12 On Song
Newbury 3.00: George Boughey’s Glittery Mac has not shown much in his two appearances this year but produced his best performance of the season when winning this race 12 months ago (from a 4lb lower mark) and has probably been targeting a repeat for some time.
Newbury 3.35: The hills of Goodwood didn’t seem to fit English Oak last time out and he deserves another chance to build on his impressive handicap success at Royal Ascot in June.
