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Racing A preview of this weekend’s racing with Farringdon: August 13-14

Including races at Ripon, Newbury, Perth and Wolverhampton

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IT IS a real shame that the Great St Wilfrid Handicap, (Ripon, 2.50) has seemingly fallen from grace, with not enough runners to fill the consolation race and sprinters rated as low as 85 able to get into this £100,000-added contest, admittedly from out of the handicap. And still we wait for the BHA to do something about the state of British racing with a lack of horses and trainers giving up the game left, right and centre.

As always the draw will be very important for this year’s renewal and Justanotherbottle, winner 12 months ago, has a nice sit here. He will probably need a career best to retain his title, but is not entirely ruled out of achieving that famous double.

His run style of going forward is so well suited to the “garden track of the north” and he is one of the main dangers to my selection, EMBOUR.

It could well be that the seven-year-old is drawn on the wrong side of the track, what with Al Simmo and Justanotherbottle likely to go hammer and tongs on the stands’ side of the course, but if the far side can hold their own then the selection could well be the surprise package.

I thought that the seven-year-old looked desperately unlucky at Goodwood last time out when a late closing sixth of 15 behind Lord Riddiford over five furlongs. This extra 220 yards should be right up his street and despite being slightly out of the handicap, well weighted on his old form, Saffie Osborne’s 3lbs claim could be the deciding factor if he is not inconvenienced by the undulating nature of the track.

There are some nice prizes up for grabs on the remainder of the card and my chief wager will be on KODIELLEN in the mile and a quarter handicap at 4.00. The Tim Easterby yard are on fire at the moment and this mare is taken to reverse recent Redcar form with the top weight here, Bearwith, on these much better terms.

The selection last won off a mark of 61, but 10 subsequent defeats have seen her rating plummet down to 49. Off her lowest ever handicap mark I am prepared to give her one more chance at a double figure price, and she is made the each-way play here if eight go to post which seems highly likely.

Top weight CITY VAULTS (4.33) along with Ben Haslam’s WEN MOON in the opener at 1.40 also look worth a second look on the card.

The Hungerford Stakes at Newbury (3.35) is the feature event on a cracking afternoon of racing at the Berkshire card and this Group Two looks wide open despite the disappointing turnout, a theme through today’s cards.

Chindit takes a big drop in class here and should probably start favourite ahead of the brave Pogo and Tidal Flow, but he has a penalty to carry here and there are plenty of each-way alternatives, and the nod goes to course and distance winner DUBAI POET.

Roger Varian’s charge comes here as a relatively fresh horse with just the three runs under his belt, and his third in the Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot suggests that he still remains on the upgrade. The three-year-old has been tried over further, including up to an extended 10 furlongs in the Dee Stakes at Chester, but patently didn’t stay that trip.

That Ascot run was his first on rattling fast ground and if anything it brought the best out of him, and if he can take another step forward I fancy that the son of Lope De Vega can finally land his first success in his second season and his second career win.

The Group Three Geoffrey Freer Stakes at 2.30 has an even poorer turnout with only five set to go to post. The youngster Zechariah will possibly go off favourite here, but I think that AWAY HE GOES has an outstanding chance in this 13 furlong affair.

He was far from disgraced when outclassed and outpaced in a pace favouring Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot, and then found two miles stretching the limits of his stamina in the two mile Goodwood Cup, but still ran a crackerjack of a race back in fifth spot; this is decidedly easier.

Of the handicaps I fancy a huge run from POSTWICK in the opening one-and-a-quarter-mile event at 1.30, while following his cracking run at Glorious Goodwood, DANCE FEVER should go very close in the seven furlong handicap at 3.00.

The Newmarket card really doesn’t interest me, but at Perth over the sticks I will be having an interest on PARDON ME in the staying chase at 3.40. I think that selection has been crying out for this step up from two and a half miles, which may help his jumping running at a slower pace, and may be able to surprise the likes of Friary Rock and top weight Getaway Goldie.

The evening card under the lights at Wolverhampton hardly sets the pulse racing, but even in the lower graded events we have to find a winner, and I am really keen on FREEDOM FLYER to return to form in the class six, six furlong handicap at 6.50. Racing off a career low mark, Ruth Carr’s charge may be able to see off the likes of course specialist Peachey Carnehan and the veteran eight-year-old Secret Potion. The last named may well be worth a saver and a forecast mix with the selection at a double figure price.

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