Weekend Racing: Expert panel | Horses to follow and tips for Newbury, Ripon and York

Saturday’s Hungerford Stakes looks an open edition of the Group 2 – is there an appealing bet?

Ben Linfoot: I’m fairly happy to take Chindit on at the prices. Yes, he brings the best form into the race, but that form is over a mile and his level has dropped every time he has dipped his toe back into seven-furlong waters in recent seasons. There are plenty of viable alternatives in a good contest and last year’s winner JUMBY tops the list. He took a few runs to get going this season, as he usually does, but he should be at the peak of his powers again on Saturday, especially with the Eve Johnson Houghton yard in terrific form. He ran well under a penalty in a Group 3 at Newmarket last time out and the 3lb swing he gets with Pogo should ensure that rival is behind him once again.

Andrew Asquith: Chindit is the pick on form, but that has all come over a mile, and he was disappointing when dropped back to seven furlongs in this race last year. Therefore, I’ll be taking him on at the prices and the one I like is three-year-old MARBAAN, who finished a running-on third in the Lennox Stakes at Glorious Goodwood earlier this month. He was a good winner of the Vintage Stakes at the same meeting last year and he appreciated the step back up in trip without being seen to best effect, asked to come from the rear of the field while the two who beat him were ridden more positively. Marbaan doesn’t have much to find with the principals and has unfinished business over this trip.

Matt Brocklebank: At the five-day stage I was leaning towards taking on the likes of Chindit, Jumby and Pogo with one of the three-year-olds and I'm inclined to side with NEW ENDEAVOUR just ahead of Marbaan, who could also go really well if there's cut in the ground. New Endeavour ran a belter in the Britannia and I'm not sure he was seen to best effect in the race won impressively by Nostrum at Newmarket last time. I reckon he could bounce back dropping to seven furlongs with a strong pace to chase here.

Summerghand is proving popular ahead of the Great St Wilfrid Handicap at Ripon – are you for or against the old stager?

Ben Linfoot: He’s running into form, coming down the weights and this is his time of year, so I completely get the clamour to get on Summerghand, but he’s nine now and the odd unexpected blip looks likely to become more common. In such a competitive heat he looks relatively short and, while he has some good form at Ripon to his name, he is 0/4 here and it is a track where it’s difficult to come from behind, as is his wont. With plenty of younger and in-form sprinters in against him, I’ll be leaving him out of calculations come Friday afternoon.

Andrew Asquith: The weather forecast at Ripon over the next few days looks a little unsettled, with plenty of rain in the area leading up to Saturday, and with that in mind I would be in the MONSIEUR KODI camp rather than the admittedly well-treated Summerghand. Monsieur Kodi won with plenty in hand in the consolation race for the Stewards’ Cup at Glorious Goodwood a couple of weeks back, relishing the return to testing ground, surging around two lengths clear in the final furlong and only closed down late in the day. He is just 3 lb higher now and with plenty of pace drawn in the low numbers and the potential for the ground to deteriorate, this in-form sprinter seems sure to launch another bold bid.

Matt Brocklebank: It's very hard to crab the nine-year-old on form as he's clearly well handicapped again and looked on the way back to something like peak performance when fourth to stablemate and subsequent Stewards' Cup winner Aberama Gold at York. However, he did play up at Goodwood himself and has had to undergo a subsequent stalls test. He's always been a bit of a character in fairness and perhaps he'll be fine this time but I'd be inclined to oppose him at the odds. The other O'Meara horse is GULLIVER (also nine years old) and he is also crashing down the weights. He's gone well fresh in the past so perhaps the two-money break since his lesser effort at Nottingham in June isn't such a bad thing. Mark Winn claims 3lb and from stall 17 he might get a nice tow into it from Hyperfocus in 19.

Is anything else already on the radar among the weekend handicaps?

Ben Linfoot: There are a couple of previous winners in the Jenningsbet Grey Horse Handicap at Newmarket but it’s the 2021 winner MITROSONFIRE that interests me the most. The son of Lethal Force won a good renewal of this race from a mark of 85, he then won a seven-furlong handicap at this track this time last year off a mark of 85 and this time around he comes in here off a mark of 85. He ran okay in the much more competitive International Handicap at Ascot last time out considering he was hampered and if the odds are juicy enough he’ll be getting backed.

Andrew Asquith: There’s a useful seven-furlong handicap at Newbury on Saturday and the Richard Hannon-trained CLASSIC is a horse I’m keen to keep on side. He has always been well regarded and everything clicked for him when opening his account for the season at Sandown last month, even despite leaving the impression he would have been better suited by a more truly-run race. Classic found plenty in the closing stages and a subsequent 2 lb rise looks more than fair, so provided stall 1 doesn’t pose too many problems, I think he’ll go very close now taking on his elders for the first time.

Matt Brocklebank: Jack Channon's DESPERATE HERO remains a progressive three-year-old and I won't be judging him too harshly on his last run when he ultimately looked to have no chance from his high draw at Goodwood. The really soft ground was probably against him too and he'd previously gone really close in a decent race at Yarmouth. Still just 1lb than for that effort, he's probably worth another chance in Newbury's five-furlong sprint at 2.25.

Some really good stuff on Sunday too with Pontefract and the Sky Bet Sunday Series card at Sandown – anything stand out at this stage?

Ben Linfoot: Mick Channon always used to target Sandown nurseries at this time of year and son Jack might well be doing the same with his pacey filly MAKE IT EASY in the opening Sky Bet Sunday Series Nursery this weekend. She showed a smart turn of foot to win a Catterick novice from subsequent Lingfield winner Tenhotfourcrazy last month and she was pitched into the Alice Keppel at Goodwood, a race that always attracts some very quick juvenile fillies. That race was run in testing ground in the Goodwood mist this year and she was repeatedly denied room from her draw in 12 as the field congregated on the stands’ rail. She’s a dead interesting nursery project, though.

Andrew Asquith: Hard to be too dogmatic without the final declarations, but ZARGA is entered in a nine-furlong handicap for filles at Sandown on Sunday, and she impressed me when winning at Windsor last time. She beat and pulled clear of the remainder with a well-treated handicap debutante on that occasion, showing a good attitude to get on top in the closing stages, and that rival was well-fancied for a handicap at Glorious Goodwood but had a mishap leaving the stalls. Zarga looks a well-handicapped filly from a 6 lb higher mark, especially as she is the type to go on improving for a while yet.

Matt Brocklebank: KITAI is another horse worth excusing a moderate effort at Goodwood. Nothing went right from her in the six-furlongs fillies' handicap on the opening day of the big meeting as she reared when the stalls opened and basically lost all chance from the outset. She'd won two nice handicaps at Carlisle and at Pontefract prior to that and returns to West Yorkshire for a crack at this Listed prize. She could easily outperform her official rating upped in grade.

And we can’t let you go without a mention of what’s to come next week… give us a winner for the Ebor Festival at York.

Ben Linfoot: A mile and a half at York could catch out Savethelastdance if she goes for the Yorkshire Oaks and I’m not convinced Bluestocking is a natural winner after she missed an open goal at the Curragh last time out, so this looks a race to dig deeper in. Al Husn will have to be on the shortlist if she runs but it wouldn’t surprise me if Paddy Twomey’s ROSSCARBERY stepped up and produced a career best. She’s versatile tactically but would thrive at a Group 1 gallop around this track and you would think Ballydoyle would ensure that, so she’s taken to gain a first top-level success at the fifth attempt.

Andrew Asquith: The Juddmonte International is shaping up to be a cracking renewal but the banker of the week for me comes in the Great Voltigeur where GREGORY should take all of the beating. He hasn’t put a foot wrong so far in his short career, taking a marked step forward when winning the Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot last time, displaying his versatility by making all of the running which probably wasn’t ideal for him. Gregory continued to find in front, winning with a bit up his sleeve, and there should be no problem dropping back to a mile and a half. He is already well fancied for the St Leger but can cement his position as a leading contender with a fourth victory of the year on Wednesday.

Matt Brocklebank: I'm already a point down going into it as my antepost Ebor fancy (Gaassee) isn't running but there's still loads to look forward to and Get Shirty has now come onto the radar for the meeting's big Saturday handicap. I also think Regional could make the market leaders work if the heavy showers stay away ahead of Friday's Nunthorpe, but before all that there's got to be a chance TRONADOR atones for his never-nearer third at Goodwood in Wednesday's staying handicap. Joe Fanning basically had a nightmare on the horse on the Sussex Downs - meeting trouble at every possible moment - but the seven-year-old will probably be much happier back on good ground here anyway and he's clearly on a very fair Flat mark at the moment.

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