Sixtygeesbaby Tackles Ripon Feature Event

Thursday brings an action-packed day of racing, with events from Hereford and Ripon broadcast live on Sky Sports Racing. The highly-regarded Sixtygeesbaby and American Style are set to clash in the competitive Armstrong Memorial Handicap, marking the opening day of Ripon's 2026 season. Having recently switched to the David O'Meara team, Sixtygeesbaby is making only his second start and is expected to improve upon his decent performance at Doncaster last month. American Style, meanwhile, has struggled to find his winning form but has the potential to excel if circumstances fall in his favor. He returns to the scene of his previous victory, over the same distance. Modern Times is another contender worth noting, having not been seen since his win over this course and distance in June last year, and receiving a significant weight advantage over the top two. The untested Storm Esme aims to overcome a 4lbs rise in the Ripon Silver Bowl Handicap. Following a successful juvenile season, which included wins at Newcastle and Leicester, Storm Esme looks to start her current season on a positive note. Top-rated Cotai Belle will be reopposing Storm Esme, having finished two places ahead of her in the Listed race at Redcar. However, Cotai Belle will need to regain her early-season form to succeed. Wyle Cop, having had two All-Weather starts this season, including a win and a third-place finish, has the advantage of being race-fit and could perform well upon his return to turf. In other news, Sherborne is taking a step up in class in the Keltruck Ltd Handicap Chase at Hereford, seeking to complete a hat-trick of wins. His previous victories came in mid-March at Exeter and later that month at Ascot, with impressive margins that suggest he may handle the rise in class. Insurrection, having finished down the field in the Kim Muir at Cheltenham, is dropping down in class and taking a significant drop in distance, which may see him in a more favorable light. Black Hawk Eagle, having won at Chepstow last time out, is up 3lbs but carries a relatively low weight, making him a contender not to be dismissed.