Ripon, Chepstow and Lingfield (a.w.)

After the feast of top class racing over the long weekend, today´s cards are a real anti-climax. By far the best race of the day is the class 3 mile handicap at 16.40 CET at Ripon. Tim Easterby has his string in good form and his consistent filly Off Chance (Duran Fentiman) could take this; she was third last time at Ascot against arguably stronger opposition, and 2 of her 4 career victories have come at this track. Osteopathic Remedy (Michael Dods/ Phillip Makin) has come back to form this year and looks the main danger. The 3yo handicap here half an hour earlier should mainly concern the two colts who have won their only starts this season: Mighty Clarets (Richard Fahey/ Paul Hanagan) and Music of the Moor (Tom Tate/ Micky Fenton), but Yashrid (Michel Jarvis/ Philip Robinson), although a long way from being one of the stars in the Jarvis stable, could well be a big danger on his first effort in a handicap.

Another 3yo running for the first time in a handicap is Helaku (Richard Hannon/ Richard Hughes) over 1 1/2 miles at 17.50 at Chepstow. He has shown absolutely nothing so far, but is moving up drarnatically in trip; despite the large field, the opposition looks very feeble, and with the stable in such fantastic form, he is the suggestion. On the same card, we expect Andrew Balding´s Advertise to win the mile handicap at 16.50; he has been a beaten favourite on both his starts this year with an apprentice board, but now has the assistance of senior jockey Jimmy Fortune.

Balding could also be on the scorecard at Lingfield´s all-weather fixture with Yarra River (David Probert) in the 3yo handicap at 17.00. However we prefer Redden (William Haggas/ Darryll Holland) who was heavily backed when just beaten at Haydock on Saturday and can now recover those losses.