This Saturday’s ITV Racing card is a diverting amuse bouche ahead of next week’s Ebor Meeting at York, with graded action from Newbury, a brace of competitive Ripon sprint handicaps and greys-only contest from Newmarket’s July Course.
Two of our selections come in the graded affairs at the Berkshire track, while the third is an each-way poke that turns up 7lbs below his highest winning mark off the back of two wins in his last four starts.
ITV Racing: Balding inmate value to bounce back from Bahrain Trophy flop
Four of the last six runnings of the Geoffrey Freer Stakes (1.50) were won by three year olds, while one of the remainder was claimed by Hukum when landing a second successive renewal.
As such, it helps to narrow down the field to focus on the Classic generation who, in receipt of 9lbs from their elders, are represented by likely favourite Pinhole, Nighttime Dancer and FURTHUR.
Pinhole won an Ascot handicap in first-time cheek pieces on his most recent outing, while Nighttime Dancer and Furthur trailed in eight-and-a-half lengths and 25 lengths behind subsequent Goodwood Cup scorer Scandinavia in the Bahrain Trophy last time out.
However, rewind the tape one race further and the Andrew-Balding-trained selection was a close second in Group 2 Queens Vase at Royal Ascot. Behind him were Scandinavia in fifth and Pinhole in eight.
After more than a month off the track a return to that kind of form is certainly possible for this previously improving Newbury maiden winner, who will likely go off the longest priced of the three-year-olds.
Newbury - Further to win
@ 6/1
ITV Racing: Still wiggle room for in-form Goldie gelding off current mark
Every Saturday ought to have its big-field handicap for punters to get stuck into at a working man’s price and this weekend it’s the turn of Ripon’s 6f Great St Wilfred to take centre stage.
Bryan Smart’s Secret Guest is expected to be on the premises again this year after finishing a close third off 3lbs lower in 2024, but preference is for Jim Goldie’s ABDUCTION at chunkier odds.
The seven-year-old is rated 7lbs below his highest winning mark and while that success off 87 came 22 months ago, he pitches up at the Yorkshire track in the form to outrun the layers’ assessments.
Two wins inside his last four outings include most recently a neck success at Hamilton on August third. Left unchanged after landing that one off a mark of 80 he should go well again.
Ripon - Abduction to win (each-way)
@ 14/1
ITV Racing: Group 2 scorer weighted to make class tell for the good doctor
William Haggas’ More Thunder would have been four from four this season if the Wokingham Stakes he lost by a head to Get It had been run over 10 or 20 metres longer and the four-year-old is a worthy favourite to continue an excellent campaign with victory in the Hungerford Stakes (3.30).
However, the 103-rated market leader is all wrong at the weights with another recent four-year-old big-race winner given he has a burden of 9st 8lbs to shoulder.
Dr Richard Newland & Jamie Insole’s WITNESS STAND is rated 118 after taking out the Lennox Stakes at Glorious Goodwood last time out, but only has to give 3lbs in weight to the Haggas hotpot.
A course and distance scorer last September on soft ground, he’s evidently just as effective on the likely good-to-firm going he should encounter at Newbury. His recent Goodwood triumph came on good and he won at the same south downs track on good-to-firm last summer.
Newbury - Witness Stand
@ 4/1
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