Thursday’s card is busy, with live coverage from Ripon and Hereford on Sky Sports Racing.
3.45 Ripon — Armstrong Memorial Handicap
Leading the feature at Ripon are Sixtygeesbaby and American Style in a competitive Armstrong Memorial Handicap. Sixtygeesbaby is running only his second start for David O’Meara after moving from Tom Clover’s yard in March. He finished close up on his seasonal return at Doncaster and should come on for that run.
American Style has had a patchy spell and has struggled to win recently, but he remains a capable performer when things fall right. He returns to the scene of his most recent success, over the same trip he won on first time up last season.
Modern Times is an intriguing outsider, unbeaten over this course and distance in June of last year and absent since — he receives a useful weight allowance from the two market principals and can’t be written off.
3.10 Ripon — Ripon Silver Bowl Handicap
The unexposed Storm Esme attempts to overcome a 4lb rise as she starts her season in the Ripon Silver Bowl. The Valmont-owned filly won two of three as a juvenile, edging her debut at Newcastle before being overfaced in the Two-Year-Old Trophy at Redcar. She bounced back to win at Leicester shortly afterwards and could have more to offer this year.
Cotai Belle lines up again having met Storm Esme in that Listed race at Redcar, where she finished a couple of places ahead. She comes here 4lb worse off on the ratings and will need to recapture the form that brought her to that level.
Wyle Cop has had two all-weather runs this season — a win and a third in a lively Southwell sprint — and brings recent fitness into play now returning to turf.
6.00 Hereford — Keltruck Ltd Handicap Chase
Sherborne steps up in class as he bids for a hat-trick in the Keltruck Ltd Handicap Chase. He won impressively at Exeter by 14 lengths in mid-March and followed that with another authoritative success at Ascot, so a further rise in grade may be within his compass.
Insurrection drops in class after a low-key Kim Muir effort at Cheltenham and also steps back in trip; that return to calmer waters could suit. Black Hawk Eagle is 3lb higher after a Chepstow victory but races off a very light weight and remains a live contender.
Best of the rest
4.16 Ripon: a competitive 0-85 handicap to keep an eye on.
There are also eight lower-grade races from ParisLongchamp on the card.
All races are shown live on Sky Sports Racing.