Our ambassador offers a preview of four key races on Newbury's Hungerford Day and gives his take on the headline contests at Ripon, with both meetings being broadcast live on Sky Sports Racing. A Longer Trip May Suit Hungerford Favourite Coppull impressed me enough in the Group One July Cup to convince me that he has the class to take the Visit Malta Hungerford Stakes over three miles and ten furlongs at Newbury this Saturday.
The race will be shown live on Sky Sports Racing, giving punters a chance to see his performance in real time. Clive Cox’s three‑year‑old needed a long run to settle at Newmarket, where the winner, Comanche Brave, broke first.
Coppull, a proven traveller, should relish the extra furlong on a more conventional, less testing surface. The added distance is likely to suit his stamina and allow him to settle into a rhythm that was missing in his previous outing. Never So Brave will have the backing of his backers after finishing second in the Criterion at York over the same seven‑furlong distance, but he has struggled to hit the front this season.
Godolphin’s Symbol Of Honour is a solid performer but has never succeeded over this trip, making both horses appear a step behind the favourite. A more intriguing contender in my view is William Haggas’s Extremely Zain. The horse is a proven winner over this course and distance, having run better than his final placing suggested in the International at Ascot. He is on an upward trajectory and, although this race represents a step up in class, he should be able to hold his own in a standard renewal.
Millionaire Sets the Bar in the Geoffrey Freer Dubai Honour, a veteran with four Group One victories and more than £5 million in prize money, looks set to reverse the clock in the opening Highclere Thoroughbred Racing Geoffrey Freer Stakes, a mile and a quarter contest at Newbury. The eight‑year‑old has provided some of my husband Tom Marquand’s finest rides and, with an excellent record when fresh, could notch his eleventh win on his return from a summer break. The field looks evenly matched between Mount Atlas and Tabletalk, who ran closely together in the Silver Cup at York, but I doubt either will improve enough to threaten 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 to George Scott from John and Thady Gosden. Though now in deeper waters, the switch could unlock the colt’s potential. Fire Can Ignite the Sprint Handicap Having finally found his rhythm, Richard Hannon’s Wheels Of Fire is primed to deliver another bold display in the D&H Excellence In Nutrition Handicap over one mile and five furlongs at Newbury. He beat the previously opposed Hypnotised comfortably at Sandown, and a six‑pound weight increase may not be enough to stop him from following up under Pat Dobbs, even though Dobbs may be better suited to a lighter assignment.
Chris Mason’s Glamorous Breeze earned a solid effort at Goodwood and deserves a close finish, but Kinswoman has fallen short in Listed and Group company and still has work to prove herself, despite dropping back into a handicap with a reduced rating. Humam Looks to Build on Newmarket Form Humam’s front‑running third place in a warm race at Newmarket positions him well for the TPT Fire Handicap over two miles and three‑quarters at Newbury. I was impressed by the way this former Andrew Balding runner stayed on task, delivering his best effort for Stuart Williams since being gelded this winter.
Running off an unchanged mark, his recent form is more compelling than that of market rival Scoville, who has been disappointing in both the Royal Hunt Cup and the Golden Mile at Goodwood and will need to improve for the shorter trip. Eve Johnson Houghton’s respectable Great Acclaim has been competitive in big races such as the Victoria Cup and the Buckingham Palace Stakes, but a respite from the handicapper may be overdue. Roxby Aims for a Big‑Race Double Malton trainer Nigel Tinkler and his apprentice Alex Jary have a genuine shot at pulling off a memorable double at Ripon on Saturday, beginning with Lord Roxby in the William Hill/MND Association Great St Wilfrid Handicap over three miles and a quarter.
The four‑year‑old returned to the North Yorkshire track in top form after beating the fancied Dark Cloud Rising over the same course and distance earlier in the month. He also led a large field at York earlier this summer and should be able to handle a five‑pound weight increase against a group of smart rivals who still have something to prove. The likely favourite, Fast Track Harry, showed improvement when fitted with cheek‑pieces for the first time at Ascot, but I am not convinced the track will suit him. 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 Shine in the Silver Cup In the consolation race, the William Hill Supporting MND Silver Cup Handicap over two miles and five‑furlongs, Nigel runs Magic Boy, a four‑year‑old who ticks many boxes in a wide‑open, large‑field dash. He is less exposed than most of the opposition and displayed his potential with a hard‑fought win against eighteen rivals at York last month.
A slow start three weeks later compromised his chances, but the experience should serve him well. Magic Boy draws stall 14, a favourable position given his previous form at the Garden Racecourse, where he has finished second on both of his visits. A career‑best performance could see him move up to claim the win. Another interesting contender is Clive Cox’s Mythical Composer, drawn in stall 15.
He must rebound from a poor 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, offering viewers a deeper understanding of the form and the storylines that could shape the outcomes on Newbury and Ripon.