Newbury & Ripon selections Saturday 15th August
As we build up to York there are no massive feature races today, but nevertheless there is plenty to enjoy with Ripon staging their feature race of the year, the Great St Wilfrid Handicap. I have two selections for the big race, plus a best bet from the card at Newbury
Newbury 2.35: Humam
A very useful horse when allowed his own way in front, HUMAM jumped back to form when nearly making all at Newmarket last week. With plenty of hold up horses in opposition, he has another chance here to dominate.
He kept going well up the hill at Newmarket, though not as well as Arctic Dawn who came through to win in the closing stages. This gelding was a very impressive 7f handicap winner on fast ground at York last season and I think a flatter track like Newbury will allow Humam to hold off challengers.
The one likely battle for the lead will be with favourite Scoville, but that rival looks better off over a mile and a current mark of 88 does look very workable for Humam.
Ripon 3.25: Fast Track Harry & Fortification
An open looking Great St Wilfrid, despite a slightly smaller field than usual. First choice for the race is FAST TRACK HARRY who bounced back to form in first time cheekpieces at Ascot last time.
A horse who until now has been best fresh, winning first time out in 2024, 2025 and now 2026, he actually won his first two starts of this campaign on the All Weather. The second was an excellent win at Newcastle over the highly progressive Stratusnine, only narrowly defeated in the Stewards Cup recently.
His form tailed off after that although he was a perfectly respectable eleventh in the Wokingham beaten only 5l. However he travelled really well, perhaps too well in the headgear at Ascot last month, cruising to the front over 1f out before tiring late on. He was ridden with more restraint that day and I suspect he will be raced more handily here which is more his natural running style.
Three year olds have won a fair few versions of this race over the years and FORTIFICATION has solid claims back up to 6f. He put in a remarkable performance to win at the Dante meeting at York over 5f, given he was out the back for much of the race.
Fourth there in a valuable handicap just as week later, he showed he stays 6f just as well when a fast finishing third in the very valuable 3yo handicap at the June meeting again at York. His last run can be ignored as he was bumped coming out of the stalls, but surely he will be better off at this trip and he is being claimed off today meaning he is effectively only 3lbs higher than for his spring win.
Recommended bets:
1pt each-way – Humam – 2.35 Newbury – 17/2 general (1/5 odds 1st 3)
1pt each-way – Fast Track Harry – 3.25 Ripon – 13/2 Unibet, Betfred (1/5 odds 1st 4)
1pt each-way – Fortification – 3.25 Ripon – 17/2 general (1/5 odds 1st 4)
