1. Race Conditions and Pace/Draw Angles
A 5f Class 5 sprint handicap for older horses, run on good ground at Ripon. The pace forecast is strong, with several habitual front-runners or prominent racers declared. That should bring hold-up horses into contention, provided they don’t get too far back, though Ripon’s track configuration can still favour those racing handily. No meaningful draw bias is flagged.


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2. Contenders, Dangers, Outsiders & Noteworthy Angles

Strongest Contender
ROCK OF ENGLAND (Paul Midgley) – Down into a 0–68 for the first time, now finds himself in his easiest race to date. Not beaten far at Carlisle last time and the Midgley yard has won this race three times in the past four years. The visor stays on, and this well-handicapped 5yo is weighted to strike.

Main Dangers
DARK KESTREL – Better on the all-weather but retains some turf ability off a lower mark. He’s had wind surgery and was third off this sort of mark in February. Could be suited by the strong pace but does often start slowly, which brings in some luck-in-running risk.

WRESTLING REVENUE – Third at Pontefract last time after a quiet spell on the all-weather. Now with Ben Haslam and returning to turf in a winnable race. His Brighton wins last season showed he has speed, but slow starts are a recurring issue.

Interesting Outsiders
CHIEF OF STATE – Lightly raced 4yo with a modest profile but has some sprinting pedigree and was entitled to need his return from a 7-month break. Second run for Ben Haslam here, and market strength would be significant.

CAESARS PEARL – Also on a seasonal return but has shaped as a better horse on the all-weather. That said, the pace setup might help her late bid, and she has a placed effort at Southwell off a similar mark. Trainer Craig Lidster’s runners can pop up in these events.

Notables & Trends

Paul Midgley has won this race in 2021, 2022 and 2024.

Multiple runners (Dark Kestrel, Wrestling Revenue, Jojo Rabbit) are habitual slow starters – pace could help them, but they’ll need a clear run.

ZAPHEA is on a retrieval mission after two dismal runs, though she won four times last year and may have needed the comeback runs.

Market support for those returning off a break (Caesars Pearl, Chief of State) should be closely watched.

Herakles and Running Cool are out of form but both have previous CD form; Herakles ran in this race last year as 7/2 favourite and weakened.



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3. Runner Ratings (Out of 10)

Rock Of England – 9

Dark Kestrel – 7

Wrestling Revenue – 7

Jojo Rabbit – 6

Chief Of State – 6 (market watch – 2nd run off long break)

Caesars Pearl – 5 (returning from 95-day break, unproven on turf)

Zaphea – 4 (badly out of sorts)

Herakles – 4 (well held recently, now 8lb below last winning mark)

Running Cool – 3 (well beaten for over a year)


Market monitoring is strongly advised for Chief of State and Caesars Pearl, both making returns from layoffs of 90+ days.


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4. Each-Way Angles
With 9 declared runners, each-way betting is valid.

Wrestling Revenue (drawn 5, close to pace, recent place effort)

Dark Kestrel (best turf mark, drops into 0–68)

Chief of State (unexposed, second run for yard – support would be notable)



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5. Private Tissue Estimate

Rock Of England – 3/1

Dark Kestrel – 9/2

Wrestling Revenue – 11/2

Jojo Rabbit – 13/2

Chief Of State – 8/1

Caesars Pearl – 10/1

Herakles – 12/1

Zaphea – 16/1

Running Cool – 20/1



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6. Summary
ROCK OF ENGLAND appeals most back in class, with Paul Midgley having a notably strong recent record in this race. DARK KESTREL and WRESTLING REVENUE are respected dangers in a race that should be run at a pace to suit them, though both need luck in running. Keep a close eye on the market for any strong support behind CHIEF OF STATE and CAESARS PEARL, both of whom return from absences and could improve.