Our ambassador offers a preview of four contests slated for Newbury's Hungerford Day and evaluates the headline races at Ripon, with both meetings being broadcast live on Sky Sports Racing. An extra furlong may suit Coppull perfectly After witnessing Coppull’s impressive run in the Group One July Cup, I am convinced the three‑year‑old trained by Clive Cox has the class to take on the Visit Malta Hungerford Stakes over 3 miles and 10 furlongs at Newbury this Saturday. The race will be shown live on Sky Sports Racing, giving fans a chance to see whether the colt can translate his Group One form into a successful outing on a more conventional track. At Newmarket, Coppull needed a long run to settle, and the winner Comanche Brave was the first to break clear.
The extra distance at Newbury should play to Coppell’s strengths, allowing him to settle before unleashing his turn of foot. Never So Brave, who finished second in the Criterion at York over the same seven‑furlong distance, will have his backers hopeful, but he has struggled to find a clear lead this season. Meanwhile, Godolphin’s Symbol Of Honour is a solid performer but has never won at this distance, making him a marginal contender.
A more intriguing prospect is William Haggas’s Extremely Zain. The horse is a proven course‑and‑distance winner who ran far better than his finishing position suggested in the International at Ascot.
He is currently on an upward trajectory. Although this race represents a step up in class, Extremely Zain has the pedigree and recent form to handle an ordinary renewal and could surprise the market.
Millionaire sets the tone in the Geoffrey Freer Dubai Honour, a veteran with four Group One victories and more than £5 million in earnings, looks set to recapture his best form in the opening Highclere Thoroughbred Racing Geoffrey Freer Stakes over 1 mile 25 furlongs at Newbury. The eight‑year‑old has provided some of Tom Marquand’s finest rides, and with an excellent record when fresh, he could notch his eleventh win after a summer break. The recent performances of Mount Atlas and Tabletalk in the Silver Cup at York were very close, but neither appears likely to improve enough to threaten Dubai Honour on the terms of this race. Gamrai, who fought valiantly in the Copper Horse at Royal Ascot, may benefit from a change of scenery after moving to trainer George Scott from John and Thady Gosden.
Though he is now in deeper water, a fresh environment could spark a resurgence. Fire can blaze in the Sprint Handicap Having finally secured a front‑running position, Richard Hannon’s Wheels Of Fire is primed to deliver another bold display in the D&H Excellence In Nutrition Handicap over 1 mile 55 furlongs at Newbury. He comfortably beat the re‑opposing Hypnotised at Sandown, and a six‑pound weight increase may not be enough to stop him from repeating his performance under Pat Dobbs, even though Dobbs may be better suited to a lighter assignment. Chris Mason’s Glamorous Breeze earned a solid run at Goodwood and deserves a close finish, but the filly has yet to prove herself against Listed and Group opposition.
Dropping back into a handicap with a reduced rating gives her a chance to showcase her latent ability. Humam looks to build on a Newmarket third Humam’s front‑running third place in a warm‑weather race at Newmarket positions him well for the TPT Fire Handicap over 2 miles 35 furlongs at Newbury.
The former Andrew Balding trainee displayed determination and stamina, delivering his best effort for jockey Stuart Williams since being gelded this winter. He heads into the race on an unchanged rating, and his recent form appears more compelling than that of market favourite Scoville, who has been disappointing in the Royal Hunt Cup and the Golden Mile at Goodwood.
Scoville will need to improve to handle the shorter trip. Eve Johnson‑Houghton’s reliable Great Acclaim has been competitive in high‑profile events such as the Victoria Cup and Buckingham Palace, but a break from the handicapper could be beneficial.
Roxby can spark a big‑race double Malton trainer Nigel Tinkler and his apprentice Alex Jary have an excellent opportunity to secure 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 circuit in top form after defeating the well‑regarded Dark Cloud Rising earlier this month. He also performed strongly in a large field at York this summer and should be able to handle a five‑pound penalty against a group of ambitious rivals.
Fast Track Harry, the likely favourite, showed improvement when fitted with cheekpieces at Ascot, but I am not convinced the Ascot surface suits him. The class horse Aramram must overcome a low draw; he ran poorly from a similar position in this race two years ago.
Boy can turn on the Magic in the Silver Cup In the consolation race, the William Hill Supporting MND Silver Cup Handicap over 2 miles 55 furlongs, Nigel runs Magic Boy, a four‑year‑old who ticks many of the right boxes for a wide‑open, large‑field sprint. Magic Boy is less exposed than many of his rivals and proved his potential with a hard‑fought win against eighteen opponents at York last month. A slow start three weeks later hampered his chances, but his draw in stall 14 is ideal, and his previous track form at the Garden Racecourse is a strong indicator of future success.
He has finished second on both of his visits and is poised to convert those placings into a victory, provided he can produce a career‑best effort. Another noteworthy contender is Clive Cox’s Mythical Composer, drawn in stall 15. The gelding needs to rebound from a sub‑par run at Goodwood, his first start since being gelded, but the draw could aid his chances.
Hollie Doyle was speaking to Sky Sports Racing’s Simon Mapletoft.