With the UK’s end of summer Bank Holiday on Monday it is a busy day of racing action ahead with seven meetings across Britain and Ireland.
There are jumps cards from Cartmel, Downpatrick and Ballinrobe as well as meetings on the level at Southwell (AW), Epsom, Ripon and Chepstow.
The feature race comes along at Ripon with their Listed British Stallion Studs EBF Ripon Champion Two Yrs Old Trophy Stakes and Asadna is fancied to make a winning return to the Yorkshire venue.
Asadna – 3.35 Ripon
ASADNA’s (10/3) debut success over this course and distance in May sparked a real racing debate going into Royal Ascot. The Mehmas colt created a fine visual impression and clocked a fast time, ensuring he was touted for the Coventry Stakes.
He wasn’t able to reward his followers there and there was more debate when his owner opted to relocate from George Boughey to Alice Haynes soon after.
His first start for his new trainer was at Newbury (6f, good) last month and he was only third as favourite in the Listed Rose Bowl Stakes – a place behind today’s rival Shagraan.
It’s worth giving Asadna one more chance now that he’s back at Ripon. The track clearly suits him well and with in-form Tom Marquand taking over in the saddle for the first time, they are taken to prove that debut win here back at the start of the summer had some substance to it as well as style as they look to justify their place on the Most Napped table via the Betfred Betfinder.
Warhol – 3.40 Epsom.
The Amateurs’ Derby Handicap is a big event for those involved at Epsom on Monday afternoon and Simon Walker is amongst the leading pilots on show as he partners WARHOL (13/2) for trainer George Baker and they could be good enough to take out this prize.
The Belardo gelding has two Epsom runs behind him, finishing second here last season on heavy ground and third this month on soft. That run last month came off the back of a break and he was caught further back than ideal after a slow start.
He should be fitter for the outing and can fare better in this contest. Faster ground will also be a positive, as is the fact he has shown up well at Epsom already. He is fancied in this Betfred Super Extra Place Race (four places).
Pittsburg – 1.20 Cartmel
The superbly-named Sticky Toffee Pudding Handicap Chase opens proceedings on Monday and can go the way of PITTSBURG (3/1) for Ryan Potter and Sean Bowen.
The seven-year-old was average on the Flat/over hurdles but appears to be a much better chaser after recent wins at Perth and Market Rasen.
Those wins came at 2m/2m1f on good ground and he travelled strongly in both instances. He is only 4lb higher and, in this grade, may still have more to offer with the half-mile run-in at Cartmel likely to favour him.
