Our racing expert Ben Linfoot has three selections for Saturday's action at Ripon, Newbury and Newmarket.
The Verdict tips: Saturday, August 19
1pt win Jack Darcy in 1.50 Newbury at 8/1 (General)
1pt win Mitrosonfire in 2.05 Newmarket at 12/1 (General)
1pt e.w. Hyperfocus in 3.15 Ripon at 25/1 (General 1/5 1,2,3,4,5,6)
👀 A look at @Timeform's pace map ahead of Saturday's Great St Wilfrid Handicap at @RiponRaces...
— Sporting Life Racing (@SportingLife) August 18, 2023
Our man Ben Linfoot is keen to get Hyperfocus on side, who is drawn in 19.
🗣️ "This is often won by a horse who bags the stands rail, and Hyperfocus is that horse this year." pic.twitter.com/Wncl4GK1zq
Focus on Easterby hope in the Great St Wilfrid
It’s Ripon’s big day in the spotlight on Saturday as 20 sprinters go to post in the William Hill Great St Wilfrid Handicap and Summerghand is likely going to go off a hot favourite.
He’s 4lb clear on Timeform ratings because he’s very well handicapped off 97 on his best form and this is his time of year, so there is plenty in his favour, but he is 0/4 at Ripon and I’d much rather back a horse on the speed anyway.
Rain is forecast through the night, so I’m working on the basis there will be at least a bit of cut in the ground, and with that in mind I’m drawn to the claims of HYPERFOCUS.
Tim Easterby has won this race twice in the last six years and he’s had a second in that timeframe, too, while this will likely have been Hyperfocus’ target ever since he beat last year’s St Wilfrid winner, Intrinsic Bond, at this track in April.
That took his Ripon record to 1-2-0-5-4-1 and his second here came in the consolation race in 2019 when he was beaten a neck by Growl from a mark of 89.
A noticeable aspect of that performance is that it came 14 days after he finished 24th in the Stewards’ Cup at Goodwood, which is good, as he comes in this year on the back of finishing 17th in the same race down in Sussex.
He didn’t actually run too badly this year as he led the far side group in desperate ground before being eased home once his chance had gone, but that was understandable and he’s no back number at nine-years-old judging by his early season form.
The key things here are the weather forecast, as he loves cut in the ground, and his draw in 19 as that should enable David Allan to bag the stands’ rail.
Plenty of St Wilfrids have been won by horses who made all on the nearside rail and I can see him getting into a good rhythm up front from his mark of 93, the same rating he scored off earlier this year.
The Verdict: Back HYPERFOCUS in the 3.15 Ripon
Jack be nimble at Newbury
Over at Newbury the ground is also turning in the favour of wide-margin Chester Vase winner Arrest ahead of the Group 3 BetVictor Geoffrey Freer Stakes.
He hosed up in soft ground in the Derby trial but has been poor since and the Gosdens now turn to a longer trip in a bid to reverse the decline.
Punters have latched onto him and he’s a best of 15/8 at the time of writing, but that looks very short over a trip he’s yet to encounter and I'd rather be against him.
Second-favourite Kemari isn't a horse you’d trust to go back-to-back and Klondike is lacking experience, so the three horses at the top of the betting could be worth taking on with JACK DARCY.
Paul & Oliver Cole’s big son of Gleneagles has always had loads of potential and his progress has been held back by his failing to settle, but there was clear improvement on that score on his last run at Goodwood.
He looked a happier horse on the front end in the Group 3 Glorious Stakes at Goodwood, beating off all the opposition bar the talented Hamish, and that was a huge step in the right direction for the four-year-old.
That has given his trainers the confidence to bump him up a little in trip, a sound decision judging by his pedigree, and it could be that Saturday’s jockey Neil Callan gets the best out of him.
He was on him at Goodwood last time and when he hosed up in a Newbury novice event 13 months ago, so coming in here on the back of a career-best run, with the course a positive, he looks a bet around 8/1.
The Verdict: Back JACK DARCY in the 1.50 Newbury
Play with Fire in the Grey Horse Handicap
Finally, I’m backing MITROSONFIRE at 12/1 in the JenningsBet Grey Horse Handicap over at Newmarket.
Rain is forecast on the July Course, too, and that’s probably not ideal for the son of Lethal Force who has such good form on faster ground.
However, he ran okay at Doncaster on soft last season and it might just take away the possibility of him getting outpaced at this track at this six-furlong trip.
He’s more of a seven-furlong horse these days, but he did win this race off the same mark of 85 two seasons ago and that’s not his only win on the July Course where he goes well.
Last time out he was short of room in the much more competitive International Handicap at Ascot, but that was a sign he’s about to hit form again and this looks the ideal spot for him.
The Verdict: Back MITROSONFIRE in the 2.05 Newmarket
Preview posted at 1605 BST on 18/08/23
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