Going: Good | Stalls: Stands’ side | 13 runners | £12,000 pot

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Race Shape & Pace Angles

• Ripon’s 6f is notoriously pace-favouring, especially when the stands’ rail is in play.
• Mark’s Choice (draw 9) is almost certain to attack from the front, with Kats Bob (3) and Speeding Bullet (1) able to sit handy.
• Mid-division trackers: Raffles Angel, Ziggy’s Ariel, Lesley’s Boy.
• Hold-up types: Wreck It Ryley, Woodstock.
• If Mark’s Choice gets an uncontested lead, he’s extremely hard to reel in at this C&D.

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Strongest Contenders

• Mark’s Choice (9yo, Gemma Tutty, 8 C&D wins) – Absolute Ripon specialist, headgear back on (record 1/1 with cheekpieces here). Ignore Southwell run (0-7 AW). Back at his favoured venue, he’s the one to catch. Proven, but dependent on dictating tempo.
• Speeding Bullet (4yo, Paul Midgley) – Revived when dropped to sprints, Pontefract winner and close 2nd at Southwell. Honest, consistent, handles good ground, and well drawn to stalk pace. Progressive profile.
• Raffles Angel (4yo, Jack Jones) – Still unexposed for this yard, won well at Haydock, didn’t handle AW last time. A turf return is a plus, and she travels strongly into her races. Promising, but slight stamina stretch if pace is unrelenting.
• Ziggy’s Ariel (3yo, Alice Haynes) – Course specialist (C&D win, two other placed efforts). Her Ripon runs are consistently stronger than elsewhere. Very solid player with scope as a 3yo filly.

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Main Dangers & Outsiders

• Kats Bob (Ruth Carr) – Rock-solid sprinter, five wins this season including York. Consistent at this level, but often finds one too good in competitive 6f handicaps.
• Lesley’s Boy (3yo, Fahey) – Showed his first real spark of the season in a visor at Doncaster. Retains C&D-winning credentials from nursery days. Could outrun odds if visor sharpens him again.
• Wreck It Ryley – Last year’s winner, but form inconsistent. Needs a return to peak.
• Chuti Manika – Has won this summer, but reliability questionable.

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Suitability Scores (out of 10)

• Mark’s Choice – 8/10 (Ripon king, but age + pressure risk)
• Speeding Bullet – 8/10 (consistent, well placed, slight ground preference for softer)
• Raffles Angel – 7/10 (progressive, turf return helps, but still proving at this level)
• Ziggy’s Ariel – 7/10 (track lover, solid C&D form, still scope)
• Kats Bob – 7/10 (consistent, but handicap ceiling near)
• Lesley’s Boy – 6/10 (visor perked him up, EW chance)
• Wreck It Ryley – 6/10 (danger if bouncing back, last year’s winner)
• Woodstock – 5/10 (needs blinkers to work, risky)
• Chuti Manika – 5/10 (inconsistent, needs big step forward)
• Ay Gee Ell – 5/10 (gelding op, maiden, stable respected)
• Cairdeas – 4/10 (Haggas cast-off, needs more)
• Count d’Orsay – 3/10 (well handicapped but regressive)
• The Green Man – 3/10 (out of form, sliding mark for a reason)

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Private Tissue (100% book)

• Speeding Bullet 4/1
• Mark’s Choice 9/2
• Raffles Angel 6/1
• Ziggy’s Ariel 13/2
• Kats Bob 13/2
• Lesley’s Boy 10/1
• Wreck It Ryley 12/1
• Woodstock 14/1
• Chuti Manika 16/1
• Ay Gee Ell 18/1
• Cairdeas 20/1
• Count d’Orsay 25/1
• The Green Man 33/1

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Summary & Smart Play

• This looks set up for front-end pace, with Mark’s Choice highly dangerous if allowed to dictate.
• However, his veteran legs may find one too strong late, and the younger Speeding Bullet has all the hallmarks of a well-placed improver who will stalk and pounce.
• Raffles Angel and Ziggy’s Ariel are the most progressive threats, while Lesley’s Boy is the lively outsider with EW claims.

Smart Play:

• Win bet – Speeding Bullet (profile strongly aligned, form holding up).
• Each-way saver – Ziggy’s Ariel (Ripon specialist, 3yo upside).
• Respect Mark’s Choice – a danger if he gets loose.