Our correspondent offers a preview of four races on Newbury's Hungerford Day and weighs in on the headline events at Ripon, with both meetings available live on Sky Sports Racing. A Longer Trip May Suit Coppell Coppull impressed me sufficiently in the Group One July Cup to believe he can handle the Visit Malta Hungerford Stakes over three miles and ten furlongs at Newbury this Saturday. The three‑year‑old trained by Clive Cox was a little sluggish to find his rhythm at Newmarket, where the winner Comanche Brave broke well and set the pace.
Coppull, a proven traveler, should benefit from the extra distance and the more conventional Newbury surface. Never So Brave will have the backing of his recent second place in the Criterion at York over seven furlongs, but he has struggled to hit the front of the race this season.
Meanwhile, Godolphin’s Symbol Of Honour is a solid performer who has never managed a win at this distance, leaving his chances uncertain. A more intriguing contender in my view is William Haggas’s Extremely Zain.
The horse is a proven course‑and‑distance winner who ran a far better race than his finishing position suggested in the International at Ascot, and he is still on an upward trajectory. Although stepping up in class, he should be able to hold his own in a standard renewal of the Hungerford. Millionaire Sets the Pace in the Geoffrey Freer Dubai Honour, a veteran with four Group One victories and more than £5 million in earnings, could easily revert to his former brilliance in the opening Highclere Thoroughbred Racing Geoffrey Freer Stakes over one mile and a quarter at Newbury. The eight‑year‑old has provided some of my husband Tom Marquand’s finest rides, and with a strong record when fresh, he could notch his eleventh win after a summer break.
There is little to separate Mount Atlas and Tabletalk after their performances in the Silver Cup at York, but I doubt either will improve enough to challenge the dominance of Dubai Honour on these terms. Gamrai, who fought valiantly in the Copper Horse at Royal Ascot, may benefit from a change of scenery after moving from John Gosden and Thady Gosden to George Scott. The new environment could help him rediscover his form.
Fire Can Light Up the Sprint Handicap Now that he has regained the lead, Richard Hannon’s Wheels Of Fire is poised to deliver another bold display in the D&H Excellence In Nutrition Handicap over one mile and five furlongs at Newbury. He comfortably defeated the re‑run opponent Hypnotised at Sandown, and a six‑pound weight increase may not be enough to stop him under Pat Dobbs, even though that rival prefers lighter assignments. Chris Mason’s Glamorous Breeze earned a close finish at Goodwood and deserves a chance to prove herself again. Although she has fallen short in Listed and Group company, she remains a contender, even after being dropped back into a handicap with a reduced rating.
Humam Looks to Build on a Strong Newmarket Run Humam’s front‑running third place in a well‑run race at Newmarket positions him well for the TPT Fire Handicap over two miles and three‑quarters at Newbury. I was impressed by how this former Andrew Balding trainee stuck to his task, delivering his best effort for trainer Stuart Williams since being gelded this winter. Running off an unchanged rating, his recent form is more compelling than that of market rival Scoville, who has disappointed in both the Royal Hunt Cup and the Golden Mile at Goodwood and must improve to handle the shorter trip.
Eve Johnson‑Houghton’s respectable Great Acclaim has performed admirably in major contests such as the Victoria Cup and the Buckingham Palace Stakes, but a respite from the handicapper may be advisable. Roxby Aims for a Double at Ripon Malton trainer Nigel Tinkler and apprentice Alex Jary have a solid chance of achieving a memorable big‑race double at Ripon on Saturday, starting with Lord Roxby in the William Hill/MND Association Great St Wilfrid Handicap over three miles and twenty‑five furlongs. The four‑year‑old from Middleham Park returns to the North Yorkshire track in peak condition after beating the well‑fancied Dark Cloud Rising earlier this month.
He also led a large field at York earlier in the summer and should cope with a five‑pound penalty against a group of promising rivals. The likely favorite, Fast Track Harry, showed improvement when fitted with cheek‑pieces at Ascot, but I am not convinced the track will suit him.
The class horse Aramram must overcome a low draw; he performed poorly from a similar position in this race two years ago. Magic Boy Could Spark in the Silver Cup In the consolation race, the William Hill Supporting MND Silver Cup Handicap over two miles and fifty‑five furlongs, Nigel runs Magic Boy, a four‑year‑old who ticks many of the right boxes for a wide‑open, large‑field dash. He is less exposed than many of his rivals and displayed 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 benefits from an advantageous draw in stall 14, and his previous form at the Garden Racecourse is a valuable asset.
He has finished second on both of his visits and is primed to improve, potentially delivering a career‑best performance. Another notable entrant is Clive Cox’s Mythical Composer, drawn in stall 15. The horse must rebound from a sub‑par run at Goodwood, his first start since being gelded, but the draw could aid his chances.
Hollie Doyle discussed these insights with Sky Sports Racing’s Simon Mapletoft.