Saturday’s tips

It’s Great St Wilfrid day and our horse racing correspondent Jonathan Doidge has four selections for you the cards at Newbury and Ripon using the best odds from betting sites.

D&H, Excellence In Nutrition Handicap (13.55, Newbury)

She’s been unable to cut the mustard since having to go up in grade but now she’s back at this level, KINSWOMAN looks to have a winning opportunity.

William Haggas trains the Mehmas filly, who has plenty of pace against these types of opponents and has won three times on a sound or fast surface over the minimum trip.

The best of those successes came last October at the similarly flat Haydock Park and that came after she’d run a cracker at York.

She’s been unable to get her nose in front from four attempts this season and she was turned over at odds-on in a similar race to this on her reappearance at Yarmouth (5f, good to soft) in May, albeit only by a neck.

That was a career best, despite the defeat. She went off as the favourite for the ‘Dash’ at Epsom next time and ran respectably to be under 3l sixth in what was a Class 2 event but more recent attempts in Listed and Group company have seen her found wanting.

The handicapper has dropped her back to the same mark as that narrow reverse at Yarmouth and I think that offers her the opportunity to be much more dominant in what is a 0-90 field. She is taken to score.

Saturday racing tip 1: Kinswoman (Newbury, 13.55) – 1pt win @ 4/1 (Bet365)

Visit Malta Hungerford Stakes (Group 2) (15.10, Newbury)

An interesting Group 2, with three-year-olds taking on older horses and one who might be capable of making the most of the weight concession is COPPULL.

Clive Cox has so far campaigned the son of Bated Breath over 5f and largely 6f and with some success. He won last year’s Group 2 Richmond Stakes (6f, good) at Goodwood and he opened this season with a Group 3 win in Ascot’s Commonwealth Cup Trial (6f, good to firm) in May.

Despite finishing eighth behind Venetian Sun in the Commonwealth Cup itself, he did best of those on the near side of the track and he than came up with his best effort yet, when 1½l fourth behind Commanche Brave in last month’s Group 1 July Cup (6f, good to firm).

He’s got plenty of ability and, although he’s yet to achieve what Never So Brave has, the Andrew Balding-trained runner doesn’t quite seem to be himself so far this season. I think the step up to 7f looks plausible on pedigree and Coppull may be able to take another good step forward.

Saturday racing tip 2: Coppull (Newbury, 15.10) – 1pt win @ 4/1 (Coral)

William Hill Supporting MND Silver Cup Handicap (14.55, Ripon)

The compensation mission for those who’ve missed the cut in the Great St Wilfrid itself and a very competitive 0-80 handicap in its own right.

‘Horses for courses’ can often by an adage levelled at this venue, as there are some that just love to come back and run well time and again. He’s not won too many of late but the veteran MARK’S CHOICE has had a tremendous career at this sort of level and won this race five years ago.

Ten of his 12 career wins have been at this track, the majority of them over this trip. While he is long in the tooth and he wasn’t at his best at Doncaster last time, he is down to a mark of just 67 now and he’s already been thereabouts twice here from higher marks this season.

He’s got a favoured high draw towards the nearside rail and at 18/1 at the time of writing, he could run a huge race here once again.

Saturday racing tip 3: Mark’s Choice (Ripon, 14.55) – 1pt each-way @ 20/1 (Coral)

William Hill/MND Association Great St Wilfrid Handicap (15.25, Ripon)

As I’ve said before on here I do love a trip to Ripon and nothing has changed after my recent outings to the North Yorkshire track. Another who enjoys it here is KODIAC THRILLER, who was second in this, one of the track’s traditional big races of the season, last year.

He’s 3lb higher this time but a look at his form suggests that’s fine, as he’s earned it. He arrives on the back of a York success in the Jump Jockeys’ Nunthorpe (5f, good to firm) but he’s already won over C&D (good to soft) in April and found just Intervention better than him in last year’s renewal of this.

I like to see a horse who has already proved he handles the undulations here because when they meet the dip at a vital time in the race, some can become unbalanced and not recover in time for the winning post.

I also like the fact that he’s drawn towards the near side rail, which is definitely a plus at the track. He’s a working man’s price and I think he can outperform those odds and go very close in this again.

Saturday racing tip 4: Kodiac Thriller (Ripon, 15.25) – 1pt each-way @ 17/2 (BetVictor)

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