Our correspondent gives a preview of four races on Newbury’s Hungerford Day and offers his take on the headline contests at Ripon – both meetings will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Racing. A longer trip may suit Coppell After a solid showing in the Group One July Cup, I am convinced that three‑year‑old Coppell, trained by Clive Cox, has the credentials to tackle the Visit Malta Hungerford Stakes over 3 miles 10 furlongs at Newbury this Saturday. In the July Cup he needed a long run to settle and was only able to find his rhythm in the final stages, but the extra furlong on a more conventional Newbury surface should play to his strengths. He was a bit reluctant at Newmarket, where the winner, Comanche Brave, broke well, yet the extra distance and a steadier pace are likely to bring out his best.
Never So Brave earned a respectable second place in the Criterion at York over seven furlongs, but he has struggled to assert himself this season and may find the step up in trip challenging. Likewise, Godolphin’s Symbol Of Honour is a consistent performer but has never succeeded beyond a mile, so the longer distance could be a test for him as well. A more intriguing prospect in my view is William Haggas’s Extremely Zain. The colt has already proved himself over the same course and distance, and his run in the International at Ascot – where he finished well down the field but showed a turn of foot beyond his placing – suggests he is still improving.
Although the Hungerford is a step up in class, Extremely Zain has the pedigree and recent form to hold his own in a competitive renewal. Millionaire sets the tone in the Geoffrey Freer Dubai Honour, a veteran with four Group One victories and more than £5 million in earnings, will look to recapture his past glories in the opening Highclere Thoroughbred Racing Geoffrey Freer Stakes over 1 mile 25 furlongs at Newbury.
The eight‑year‑old has provided some of my husband Tom Marquand’s finest rides and, having been fresh in his last outing, could well add an eleventh win to his record after a summer break. The recent performances of Mount Atlas and Tabletalk in the Silver Cup at York were fairly evenly matched, yet I doubt either will improve enough to threaten Dubai Honour on the day. Meanwhile, Gamrai, who fought valiantly in the Copper Horse at Royal Ascot, may benefit from a change of scenery after moving to the stable of George Scott from John and Thady Gosden. Fire can blaze in the Sprint Handicap Now that he has regained his forward position, Richard Hannon’s Wheels Of Fire looks ready to deliver another bold display in the D&H Excellence In Nutrition Handicap over 1 mile 55 furlongs at Newbury.
He comfortably beat the well‑matched Hypnotised at Sandown, and even with a six‑pound weight increase he should still be a serious contender, especially under the guidance of Pat Dobbs, who tends to excel with horses carrying higher penalties. Chris Mason’s Glamorous Breeze earned a respectable placing at Goodwood and is entitled to be competitive again. Although she has yet to make a breakthrough at Listed or Group level, a drop back into a handicap with a reduced rating could give her the chance to prove her class. Humam looks to build on Newmarket form Humam’s front‑running third place in a warm‑weather race at Newmarket suggests he is well‑placed for the TPT Fire Handicap over 2 miles 35 furlongs at Newbury.
The former Andrew Balding trainee showed determination and stamina, delivering his best performance for trainer Stuart Williams since being gelded over the winter. He will race on an unchanged rating, and his recent form appears more compelling than that of market rival Scoville, who has underperformed in both the Royal Hunt Cup and the Golden Mile at Goodwood and will need to improve to handle the shorter trip. Eve Johnson‑Houghton’s dependable Great Acclaim has been a regular in high‑profile contests such as the Victoria Cup and the Buckingham Palace Stakes, but a spell away from the handicapper could be beneficial to restore his confidence.
Roxby could spark a big‑race double Malton trainer Nigel Tinkler and apprentice jockey Alex Jary have a realistic shot at securing a memorable double at Ripon on Saturday, beginning with Lord Roxby in the William Hill/MND Association Great St Wilfrid Handicap over 3 miles 25 furlongs. The four‑year‑old returned to the North Yorkshire course in fine form after beating the well‑regarded Dark Cloud Rising earlier this month, and he also led a sizeable field at York earlier in the summer. Even with a five‑pound penalty, he should be able to hold his own against the smart rivals who still have something to prove.
Fast Track Harry, the likely favourite, showed improvement when wearing cheekpieces for the first time at Ascot, but I am not convinced the Ascot surface will suit him here. The class horse Aramram will need to overcome a low draw; he performed poorly from a similar position in this race two years ago. Magic Boy could turn on the charm in the Silver Cup In the consolation race, the William Hill Supporting MND Silver Cup Handicap over 2 miles 55 furlongs, Nigel will ride Magic Boy, a four‑year‑old who ticks many of the boxes for a wide‑open, large‑field sprint. He is less exposed than many of his rivals and demonstrated his potential with a hard‑fought win against eighteen opponents at York last month, although a slow start hampered his chances three weeks later.
Magic Boy draws stall 14, a favourable position given his previous success at this track – a factor that often proves decisive at Garden Racecourse. He has finished second on both of his previous visits, and a career‑best effort could see him finally claim victory. Another horse to watch is Clive Cox’s Mythical Composer, who also enjoys a good draw in stall 15 but must rebound from a disappointing run at Goodwood, his first start since being gelded.
Hollie Doyle shared these insights with Sky Sports Racing’s Simon Mapletoft.