Newbury Saturday

1.50 BetVictor Geoffrey Freer Stakes (Group 3) 1m 5f 61y

With no rain forecast, the going at Newbury is likely to be good to firm (good in places on Friday but tightening up), and that counts against several of the runners, notably mudlark Sumo Sam, but also Al Qareem to a lesser extent, a shame, as he was the one with a genuine chance of turning over Al Aasy on dead ground. As it stands, however, the favourite looks to have all his ducks in a row, and can add another Group 3 to his CV.

2.25 Play The BetVictor Predictor Now Handicap 5f 34y

This stiff five furlongs will suit the progressive Reinforce, who pulled well clear of the third when dead-heating with a subsequent winner at Down Royal two starts back. Katy Brown’s charge again ran well from his revised mark at Tipperary last time, but seemed to find that sharp track against him, albeit doing good late work to claim fourth behind Nouvel Espoir. He’s well drawn here with the speedy Michaela’s Boy on his inner and while that one can’t be ruled out with gelding, a wind op and a switch of yards all potential catalysts for improvement, the son of Tasleet makes most appeal with Rossa Ryan booked.

3.00 TPT Fire Handicap 7f

Lethal Levi was well beaten in the Stewards’ Cup last time, but he also ran poorly when looking a handicap snip on his only previous visit to the track (for the 2022 Stewards’ Sprint), so it’s easy to conclude that he simply dislikes the track.

He had been in fine form prior to that with blinkers fitted, winning over six furlongs here and running really well in both the Wokingham and the Bunbury Cup over this trip at Newmarket. This represents a slight ease in class for Karl Burke’s classy handicapper, and he can make it count.

3.35 - BetVictor Hungerford Stakes (Group 2) 7f

The Hungerford Stakes makes minimal betting appeal with no each-way betting to speak of, and I would just favour English Oak to make up for a slightly disappointing effort in the Lennox Stakes last time.

The trio who beat him are all Group 1 winners, and despite racing in the same grade here, it has to be said that today’s rivals are not so scary, with Tiber Flow held on Goodwood running in any case.

Ripon Saturday

2.45 William Hill Silver Trophy Handicap 6f

Another Baar bounced back to form from his reduced mark to win at Doncaster last time and still looks on a winnable mark based on the form he was showing last summer. He’s been raised to a mark of 70, but the last of his three successes in 2023 came off 8lb higher at Beverley in June, while he was an easy winner from a mark of 68 over this course and distance on his previous start. He’s fared very well with the draw, and stall 18 of 18 certainly looks advantageous on paper. With all-important course form in the book and on the back of his best effort in some time, he sticks out like a sore thumb.

3.20 William Hill Great St Wilfrid Handicap 6f

I’ve been impressed with both the progress and the consistency of Radio Goo Goo this season and she comes here at the very top of her game despite a pretty busy campaign. A win here in May shows that she acts well on the idiosyncratic track, and she ran well when one and three quarter lengths second of eight to Manila Scouse in a Racing League contest at Chepstow last time, where the ground rode softer than advertised, suiting the winner much more than her.

She is drawn to attack on the far side of the track and should be well positioned there with only one other pace angle among those drawn in single figures. The forecast fast ground is in her favour, and she is taken to make all the running.

Recommended:

Reinforce 2.25 Newbury – 1pt e/w 10/1 (general)

Lethal Levi 3.00 Newbury – 1pt e/w 15/2 (Hills, 4 places; general 7/1)

Another Baar 2.45 Ripon – 1pt e/w 10/1 (BetVictor, Coral, 5 places)

Radio Goo Goo 3.20 Ripon – 2pts e/w 10/1 (Hills 6 places, general 5 places)