Horse racing betting tips: Growl in with a shout of claiming Great St Wilfrid Consolation
YORKSHIRE’S Garden Racecourse, Ripon, will be in full bloom for their biggest day of the year tomorrow, not least thanks to all of the rain that’s expected to fall today.
There’s over £150,000 on offer across the seven races, with half of that up for grabs in the Great St Wilfrid Handicap (3.15pm).
GROWL looked like sneaking into the final field of 20 but there were surprisingly no omissions at the final stage of declarations on Thursday and he instead goes for the Silver Trophy, better known as the Great St. Wilfrid Consolation Race (2.05pm).
Given he looked worthy of support for the big race of the day, Richard Fahey’s seven-year-old must have a great chance in this and looks worth backing at 9/1.
He’s certainly not getting any younger, and after 47 races it feels like he’s been around for an age, but his handicap mark has been on the slide and he showed the fire still burns when finishing ninth in the 27-runner Stewards’ Cup a fortnight ago.
That’s one of the most competitive sprints in the calendar, so with him now stepping down in class and having been dropped 3lbs by the handicapper, everything looks set for a big run.
In the big race itself, which looks a very tricky puzzle to solve, preference is for recent course and distance winner LAHORE.
Ripon is a unique track and course form can be key, while the son of Elusive Quality also handles soft ground.
Lahore, available at double-figure prices with some firms, is a five-year-old with few miles on the clock after just 11 career starts and could still be well-treated off just a mark of 93.
POINTERS TOMORROW
Growl e/w 2.05pm Ripon
Lahore e/w 3.15pm Ripon