The Great St Wilfrid Handicap at Ripon is the day’s biggest betting race and our man has pinpointed an outsider who could outrun his big odds
Jason Heavey’s big race tips runs at Ripon
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PRINCE OF PILLO (3.20) has two ways of running – and I’m chancing him being in the right mood at Ripon on Saturday.
The William Hill/MND Association Great St Wilfrid Handicap is the day’s best betting race.
Richard Fahey’s five-year-old is useful – he just doesn’t always show it.
But he has performed okay in his last two runs and the hustle and bustle of a big-field handicap could bring out his best.
He is drawn high – usually an advantage at Ripon – and he is a tempting price at around 16-1.
Prince Of Pillo has winning form at the undulating course, which is always a plus.
There is early pace across the track with Intervention (stall one), Kodiac Thriller (10) and First Folio (13). Abduction is a live danger and is a decent each-way shout at 16-1.
Rousing Encore and Fivethousandtoone will be rattling home late while City Walk is something of a dark horse for Saeed bin Suroor.
MORE THUNDER (3.35) can storm his way to success in the Group Two Visit Malta Hungerford Stakes at Newbury.
William Haggas’s four-year-old makes the leap into pattern company after starring in top-level handicaps.
He was desperately unlucky in the Wokingham at Ascot before gaining compensation in the Bunbury Cup.
He has plenty to find on official ratings in this Group Two affair but he looks far better than his current mark.
King’s Gamble and Witness Stand are respected while Rage Of Bamby is an each-way play.
James Owen has struggled to find the key to 2024 Derby runner-up AMBIENTE FRIENDLY (1.50) since he switched to his yard but I fancy him to bounce back today.
He is a keen-going horse and can be a handful to settle so with no obvious pace Sean Dylan Bowen may opt to allow him to make the running in the Group Two Highclere Racing Geoffrey Freer Stakes.
A line can be drawn through the run of STAR CHORUS (2.25) at Goodwood when he got no sort of run. He is interesting at around the 9-1 mark under Oisin Murphy in the D&H, Excellence In Nutrition Handicap.
CLASSIC (3.00) is enjoying an excellent season and a strongly run seven furlongs on fast ground are his optimum conditions, as he showed when just failing to catch Two Tribes in a heritage handicap at Ascot last month.
He should be bang in the mix in the TPT Fire Handicap although Sean Levey will be hoping for a decent gallop.
When the ITV cameras stop rolling, BYBLOS (4.45, nap) is strongly fancied to win the 1m4f handicap. The step up in trip worked wonders last time for a horse who could be well ahead of his handicap mark.
WOODSTOCK (2.45) is an interesting runner at Ripon in the William Hill Supporting MND Silver Cup.
Jason Hart takes the reins and Ruth Carr is dropping him back in trip, which could prove a masterstroke.
ITV are also showing the opener from Newmarket, the Jenningsbet Grey Horse Handicap – exclusively for greys – and I’m chancing SENSORIUM (2.05) from the in-form yard of Dylan Cunha to outrun his odds.
JASON HEAVEY’S SATURDAY TIPS
NEWBURY
1.50 Ambiente Friendly
2.25 Star Chorus
3.00 Classic
3.35 More Thunder
4.10 Wechaad
4.45 Byblos (Nap)
5.20 Skimmer
RIPON
1.35 Suspended Sentence
2.10 Gharma Sutra
2.45 Woodstock
3.20 Prince Of Pillo (trb)
3.50 Carron
4.24 Shielas Well
4.59 Little Ted
NEWMARKET
2.05 Sensorium
2.40 Pacifica Pier
3.15 Half Sovereign
3.45 Spirit of Jura
4.20 Alive Again
4.55 Wonderbolt
DONCASTER
1.57 Echo Of Glory
2.32 Akho Mezzna
3.07 Age Of Baroque (nb)
3.40 Coeur Jaune
4.15 Muker
4.50 Release The Storm
5.25 Project Geofin
PERTH
3.55 Break Point
4.30 Garde Des Champs
5.05 Broughshane
5.35 Happy Index
6.07 Rock On Pedro
6.38 Raby Mere
7.08 Valenciaga
MARKET RASEN
5.15 Joueuse Royale
5.50 Nap Hand
6.23 Prospect House
6.53 I Am Rocco
7.28 Of Course You Can
8.03 Game Beaaa
BATH
5.40 Trojan Truth
6.15 Princess Mia
6.46 Justcallmesergio
7.16 Moe’s Legacy
7.46 Vaunted
8.16 Azuinthejungle