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14:33 Ripon
A very well contested 0-55 handicap awaits here today in which six of these competed in a course and distance event just over two weeks back in a race which was won by Peripeteia.
She has been raised 5lb for that success but doesn’t look the most obvious choice to follow up today. Kevin Stott takes over the steering here and though she will likely give another bold bid, she wouldn’t exactly scream great value to me here.
Milltown Lily can perhaps consider herself a little unlucky in that race, when just struggling for room at key stages in the race and equipped with a 6lb swing in the weights, she would be of obvious interest each way. She is still a maiden however, and may need to look for easier opportunities to break her tag.
Bearwith ran a typically consistent race although he doesn’t hold many secrets from the handicapper and may just find one of two a bit too good again here.
I’m siding with Mr Heinz in this contest for Simon Whittaker. He was very well supported on his handicap debut at Carlisle and is obviously thought better of than his current mark. It’s likely that a combination of the trip and the pace of the race didn’t provide enough of a test for him and I am predicting a much better showing here today with that experience under his belt.
MR HEINZ (WIN)
15:24 Cartmel
The feature race from Cartmel looks a cracker and a really exciting contest lies in wait.
Jerrysback has really found his form of late for Ben Haslam and JP McManus. It was a super effort to land the competitive Summer Cup at Uttoxeter and he hopes to land another big race here in the Cavendish Cup. He will have to produce a career best however, as he has yet to win off a mark this high and his penalty does deter me from thinking that he will land the hat trick here.
Rapid Flight has been a revelation over fences this term and under Charlotte Jones he has won four of his five chase starts. Another bold bid is expected for sure but he will need to improve again to win at this level.
He is closely matched on form with All About Joe and though the latter managed to get the better of the exchange back at the start of June, Rapid Flight reversed the form last time.
The Vollan lost a match race last time out though had previously been in good form for Laura Morgan so it would be a good performance were he to bounce back here in a race like this.
I am going to side here with last years winner Dressedforsuccess. He was miles clear in this race last year before nearly throwing the race away in the final few furlongs. Though this is a lot more competitive affair this year, there may be more mileage in his mark and he makes a lot of appeal to me with Sam Twiston-Davies taking over in the saddle with Charlotte Jones aboard Rapid Flight here.
DRESSEDFORSUCCESS (WIN)
17:26 Ripon
An amateurs’ handicap at Ripon wouldn’t be most peoples obvious place to look for winners, however in this race one stands out for me.
Masque of Anarchy comes into this race looking for a hat-trick. His latest win suggested that there was more to come and that he can easily overcome the 4lb rise. The son of Sir Percy has never won off a mark this high before in his career but this could be about to change with Cole Harris back on board as he was last time out.
Top weight Just Hiss would seemingly be the main danger here for Tim and Thomas Easterby. He produced a good performance last time in only going down half a length to The Dancing Poet, however the drop back in trip here doesn’t look an obvious move and he would be opposed today.
Both Quoteline Direct and Point Of Honour have the potential to get involved although the latter would again perhaps prefer a better test of stamina and Micky Hammond’s runner hasn’t won on turf since 2018.
Given this, it’s hard to oppose Masque Of Anarchy today and I am picking him to take to the spoils in the lucky last at Ripon this afternoon.
MASQUE OF ANARCHY (WIN)
written by Tom Bates