Talking Horses: Grant Wood can destroy tables in Ripon Handicap

THe Great St Wilfrid Handicap, the showpiece event of the season at Ripon, is the highlight of Saturday’s racing program from a gambling perspective and the form of what is effective for this £ 100k match, about the same job and travel 12 days ago, the strongest indication can prove to be.

Four of the runners of Saturday lender Sox, Kodiac Thriller, First Folio and Grant Wood-Stolen in line for that strongly running event and finished first, third, sixth and eighth, while track specialist Fortamour, who depicted a big race at 2.45 hours.

All four have decent claims on Saturday, but the most interesting competition is Wood (3.20), who was a convincing winner of the comfort of a lower grade of 4 pounds 12 months ago.

The sprinter of Paul Midgley returned from a two-month break-out break, when he lay a little fewer than four lengths behind Mister Sox and has since dropped 1 pound in the weights.

Saturday’s race is probably the target since his track-and-trip victory last summer and the 3LB claim from Aiden Brookes is another positive.

Newbury 1.50 There was an immediate result when Ralph Beckett applied wekpieces Pinhole In a handicap on Ascot’s King George meeting in July when the flawlessly bred son of Frankel flowed nearly six lengths of Free from his field. He was under the par in the vase of the queen during the royal meeting, but if the effect of the headgear is maintained, he must bring this return to group two company.

Newmarket 2.05 The decrease back from seven furlongs to six attracted a significant improvement of Binhead Last time-out, and the visual impression of his three and one-quarter length victory was supported by a strong time. An increase in weights of 8 pounds is in the direction of the lower end of what could be expected.

Newbury 2.25 The six -year -old mare Lil Guff Is more exposed than different rivals, but sets up a useful performance when a last third last time out on its first start for 82 days and even a limitation of improvement would put its right in the mix.

Ripon 2.45 Course specialist Fortamour Has reached the veteran stage, but is back on a workable marking and came to its best job and journey last time. He was poorly drawn in this race 12 months ago and lost an essential land in the beginning in 2023, but was very happy with the third time.

Newbury 3.00 Cracking Gold Did not lose anything in the defeat when the second place behind great praise in a well -guided match in Goodwood last month and remains well negotiated for his winning form in Newmarket in June.

Newbury 3.35 A competitive renewal of the group two Hungerford Stakes with seasoned artists at group level, potential improvements and a first step in pattern company for William Haggas’s More Thunder, who followed a good second in the Wokingham Handicap with a narrow victory in the Bunbury Cup Last Out. However, it looks short enough in gambling on his handicap form, and raced the light King’s Gamble makes more appeal to the likely opportunities. Seven Furlongs may turn out to be his ideal journey and he was sure to improve for the step back in the end of slightly fewer than two lengths behind Bamby’s anger in the six-Furlong Hackwood on this song last month.