Talking Horses: Grant Wood can overturn tables in Ripon handicap

The Great St Wilfrid Handicap, the showpiece event of the season at Ripon, is the highlight of Saturday’s racing programme from a betting perspective and the form from what is effectively a trial for this £100k contest, over the same track and trip 12 days ago, could well prove to be the strongest indication on offer.

Four of Saturday’s runners – Mister Sox, Kodiac Thriller, First Folio and Grant Wood – all lined up for that strongly-run event, finishing first, third, sixth and eighth respectively, while track-specialist Fortamour, who is fancied to run a big race in the consolation event at 2.45, was fourth.

All four have decent claims on Saturday but the most interesting contender is Grant Wood (3.20), who was a convincing winner of the consolation race 12 months ago off a 4lb lower mark.

Paul Midgley’s sprinter was returning from a two-month break last time out, when he was just under four lengths behind Mister Sox, and has since been dropped 1lb in the weights.

Saturday’s race has probably been the target since his track-and-trip win last summer and Aiden Brookes’s 3lb claim is another positive.

Newbury 1.50 There was an immediate result when Ralph Beckett applied cheekpieces to Pinhole in a handicap at Ascot’s King George meeting in July as the impeccably-bred son of Frankel powered nearly six lengths clear of his field. He was below-par in the Queen’s Vase at the Royal meeting but if the headgear’s effect is maintained, he should take this return to Group Two company in his stride.

Newmarket 2.05 The drop back from seven furlongs to six drew significant improvement from Binhareer last time out, and the visual impression of his three-and-a-quarter length win was backed up by a strong time. An 8lb rise in the weights is towards the lower end of what might have been expected.

Newbury 2.25 The six-year-old mare Lil Guff is more exposed than several rivals but put up a useful performance to finish a close third last time out on her first start for 82 days and even a modicum of improvement would put her right in the mix.

Ripon 2.45 Course-specialist Fortamour has reached the veteran stage but is back on a workable mark and ran up to his best over track and trip last time. He was poorly drawn in this race 12 months ago and lost vital ground at the start in 2023 but could well make it third time lucky.

Newbury 3.00 The six-year-old mare Lil Guff is more exposed than several rivals but put up a useful performance to finish a close third last time out on her first start for 82 days and even a modicum of improvement would put her right in the mix.

Newbury 3.35 A competitive renewal of the Group Two Hungerford Stakes with seasoned Group-level performers, potential improvers and a first step into Pattern company for William Haggas’s More Thunder, who followed up a close second in the Wokingham Handicap with a narrow win in the Bunbury Cup last time out. He looks short enough in the betting on his handicap form, however, and the lightly-raced King’s Gamble makes more appeal at the likely odds. Seven furlongs may well prove to be his be ideal trip and he looked sure to improve for the step back up when finishing just under two lengths behind Rage Of Bamby in the six-furlong Hackwood at this track last month.