7:30 Ripon
A compact Class 5 handicap over six furlongs at Ripon on good to soft ground brings together six runners, most of whom carry modest rather than high-class form. The KTB Fit scores are tightly bunched at the top, with Glory Hyde and Beyond Borders separated by just a single point, while Mark's Choice and Blind Beggar sit a little further back. Recent wins are confined largely to the top two in the rankings, and the race looks set to revolve around how well the course specialists can handle a field in which several have limited local experience.
How the race shapes up
The pace shape is expected to be on the steady side, with only a couple of confirmed front-runners in a small field. Mark's Choice and Bye Law are most likely to take up the early running from their low draws, while Glory Hyde and Beyond Borders should track comfortably from stalls four and five. The key question is whether the early pace will be sufficient to prevent the prominent runners from stealing it, or whether the race will collapse late and play into the hands of those coming from just off the speed.
The KTB Fit ranking
- 1Glory Hyde KTB Selection61/100Glory Hyde is a fair handicapper who arrives in solid form with three wins from his last five starts.
- 2Beyond Borders60/100Modest performer who has won at this trip but has been largely out of form this year.
- 3Mark's Choice54/100Mark's Choice is a modest 10-year-old who knows his way around Ripon having won eight times from 22 starts here.
- 4Blind Beggar45/100Modest performer who has dropped to a workable mark but has been out of form for some time with five runs without a placing this year.
- 5Beattie Is Back45/100Beattie Is Back is a modest performer who has been on the go for a long time and rarely wins.
- 6Bye Law41/100Modest performer who has shown little spark in three runs this season and was well held when last seen at this track.
The contenders
Glory Hyde KTB Fit 61/100
Glory Hyde is a fair handicapper who arrives in solid form with three wins from his last five starts. He has won over this trip and on good to soft ground while also scoring at this track from three runs. The yard's modest 10 percent strike rate at Ripon is offset by the jockey's stronger 14 percent record here. Joanna Mason takes the ride for a trainer-jockey combination that has produced a positive A/E of 1.25 overall. With a recent form sequence of 501511 he looks sure to go well from draw four, where his prominent style should see him ideally placed against the expected steady pace. A 5yo with progressive figures, he is the one they all have to beat.
Beyond Borders KTB Fit 60/100
Beyond Borders is a modest performer who has won at this trip but has been largely out of form this year. He has run three times at Ripon without placing and the yard have no previous runners here. Jason Hart has a solid 14% strike rate at the track though and the horse has shown he handles good to soft ground. Recent form of 06-761 suggests he is capable of bouncing back to form on his best days. From draw five he should be able to track the leaders without too much effort in what is likely to be a steadily run affair. The 5yo retains ability on a workable mark if the first-time tongue-tie, worn for the first time here, helps him rediscover his spark.
Mark's Choice KTB Fit 54/100
Mark's Choice is a modest 10-year-old who knows his way around Ripon having won eight times from 22 starts here. He arrives in decent form with two wins from his last five runs and has won at this trip plus scored once from seven attempts on good to soft ground. The yard holds a solid 17% strike rate at the track while the jockey is operating at 10%. Recent form reads 11-062 and from a low draw of three he is likely to be prominent early. The veteran retains plenty of course knowledge that few of his rivals can match, though the trainer-jockey combination shows a modest A/E of 0.62. His ability to handle the track remains his strongest asset in a race where early position could be important.
Blind Beggar KTB Fit 45/100
Blind Beggar is a modest performer who has dropped to a workable mark but has been out of form for some time with five runs without a placing this year. He has won over this trip in the past though has only managed a single placing from five runs on good to soft ground. This is his first run at Ripon for a yard with a poor record here and the 5lb claimer is riding with very limited local experience. Recent form of 05-000 offers little encouragement on paper. Dropping in class may help him become competitive again if he can rediscover some spark, but the combination of no course form and a 0% trainer strike rate at the venue makes this a stiff task from stall one.
The rest of the field
Beattie Is BackKTB Fit 45/100
Beattie Is Back is a modest performer who has been on the go for a long time and rarely wins. He has shown bits of form this year but was well held last time and his record on good to soft ground is poor from just two starts. The trainer's modest record at Ripon adds little encouragement.
Bye LawKTB Fit 41/100
Bye Law is a modest performer who has shown little spark in three runs this season and was well held when last seen at this track. He has won twice at this trip but is 0-2 on good to soft ground and his recent efforts suggest he is vulnerable again from stall 2. Tim Easterby has a 10% strike rate here from a huge sample while Sean Kirrane posts a solid 13% at the course.
KTB verdict
Glory Hyde stands out as the KTB Selection. He comes into the race with the strongest recent winning record, has already shown he can win at this trip, on this ground and at this track, and the jockey's record at Ripon adds confidence to the booking. His prominent style should suit the likely shape of the race and he looks the most solid option all round. The main dangers are Mark's Choice, who knows the venue inside out and will go forward from a good draw, and Beyond Borders if he can rediscover the spark that saw him win over the distance. Blind Beggar is hard to fancy on current form despite the drop in class.
KTB Selection Glory Hyde
This is the narrative read of the 7:30 Ripon. For the live card — runner-by-runner stats, the full Fit Score breakdown and current odds — see the Ripon racecard. New here? How KTB works explains the Fit Score and why we publish both.
Questions about this race
Which horse has the best recent winning record in this field?
Glory Hyde, with three wins from his last five starts.
How many course wins does Mark's Choice have at Ripon?
Eight wins from 22 starts here.
What is the trainer's strike rate at Ripon for the yard of the selection?
10 percent strike rate at Ripon from 174 runs.
Has Beyond Borders placed at Ripon in three previous runs?
No, he has run three times at Ripon without placing.
Which horse in the field is dropping in class?
Blind Beggar.
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