ITV Racing Tips: Trio Of Picks From Newbury, Ripon & Newmarket

The ITV cameras head to the Premier meeting of the day at Newbury on Saturday, the first four races being screened from the Berkshire track, including the Group 3 Geoffrey Freer Stakes and the Group 2 Hungerford Stakes. 

There is some strong supporting action from Newmarket, the spectacle that is the Grey Horse Handicap, as well as a pair of hugely competitive sprints from Ripon on their richest fixture of the year.  

The Great St Wilfrid handicap at Ripon, due off at 15:20, is worth £100,000 in prize money and has attracted a strong field of 17. The ITV Racing team will be across all the action, seven races broadcast live on ITV4 from 13:30-16:00.

Our racing expert has picked out three horses to follow on the terrestrial offering.

13:50 Newbury - Geoffrey Freer Stakes

The opening Group 3 on Newbury’s card has attracted a small but select field of six, the market likely to be headed by the Ralph Beckett-trained PINHOLE, who has shown rapid improvement this season.

The selection, who began his career with the now retired Sir Michael Stoute, has won two of his four starts for his new trainer, kicking off with a Southwell maiden win on his stable debut in December.

He’s done nothing but progress since, finishing fourth behind subsequent English and Irish Derby winner Lambourn at Chester’s May meeting before finishing a respectable eighth in the Group 2 Queen’s Vase over 1m6f at Royal Ascot.

His last run, back at Ascot over 1m4f 22 days ago, represented a big step up for the three-year-old, the addition of cheekpieces clearly having a positive impact as he strode five lengths clear of a useful rival. 

A return to this longer trip shouldn’t be an issue and the 8lb weight-for-age allowance he receives from the older horses should give him the advantage.  

15:00 Newbury - TPT Fire Handicap

Newbury has brought out the best in Eve Johnston Houghton’s JUMBY in the past, the now seven-year-old having won the Group 2 feature, the Hungerford Stakes, on this card in 2022 and finished a close up third in that race only 12 months earlier.

He’s not at that sort of level nowadays, but he’s still very capable and his current mark of 94 is a good reflection of his current ability.

He’s not won since June 2023, but has posted a string of good efforts in defeats this season and the prospect of quick ground, back at arguably his favourite venue, makes him of major appeal in an open handicap under Charles Bishop.

15:35 Newbury - Hungerford Stakes

Dr Richard Newland and Jamie Insole are a training combination going places and they looked set to claim their second Group 2 prize in as many months courtesy of WITNESS STAND in the feature.

The four-year-old hit the headlines at Glorious Goodwood 18 days ago with a surprise success in the Group 2 Lennox Stakes, but he won with plenty to spare and there appeared no fluke about it. 

He’s got a 3lb penalty to shoulder on this occasion, but he’s nicely clear on ratings with his current mark of 118, meaning he’s considered upwards of 7lb better than his rivals.  

Billy Loughnane, who partnered his first Group 1 winner aboard Rebel’s Romance in Germany last weekend, looks an excellent booking.  

Likely favourite More Thunder is a rapid improver, but he’s only rated 103 at present and needs to find a lot more to win this and he’s not sure to be suited by Newbury, a stiff track having brought out the best in him this season.