Saturday Racing Tips from Steve Ryder

The ‘Grey Horse Handicap’ is always a great spectacle and I am hoping that the Jonny Portman trained Strike (best priced at 13/2) can win the race for a second year in a row. The five-year-old won this race last season off a mark of 67 by a nose before running well last time back at this course when 2nd by a head over 6f off the same mark.

The handicapper has raised Strike 3lbs for that effort up to a mark of 70 which is fair as the pair pulled 7 lengths clear of the 3rd and I am hoping he can run well again in this race with five places available.

Mark’s Choice (best priced at 8/1) is a seven-time course winner at Ripon including in this race in 2021 and he is now back down to good handicap mark. The Adrian Keatley trained seven-year-old ran well on his stable debut in the Great St Wilfrid last season to finish 3rd despite being 10lbs out fo the handicap before winning over this course and distance later that month off a mark of 81.

Mark’s Choice was only beaten 1 ¾ lengths over this course and distance in May off a mark of 80 and the handicapper has been generous in dropping him 3lbs for a below par effort at Doncaster. Connections have taken off his headgear in this which is interesting but I am hoping he can still run well with up to six places available.

The highlight of the day is the Group 2 Hungerford Stakes and I feel the 115 rated Chindit (best priced at 11/4) should prove hard to beat back at this track. The Richard Hannon trained five-year-old won the Greenham Stakes over this course and distance as a three-year-old before winning the Group 2 Summer Mile Stakes at Ascot last season. He outran odds of 22/1 to finish 2nd behind Modern Games in the Group 1 Lockinge Stakes over a mile here in May before finishing 6th in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot on his next start.

Chindit should be suited by this drop back in trip to 7f and hopefully he can gain another Group 2 success.