8:40 Ripon
This Class 6 handicap over the minimum trip at Ripon brings together a small but competitive field of six limited performers on good ground. The KTB Fit ratings are tightly bunched, headed by Zuffolo on 56 with Brain Freeze, Dunnington Lad and Cheerleader all on 50, suggesting a race where small margins and the first-time headgear on a couple of runners could prove decisive. Recent form is mixed across the board, with several horses dropping in class while others seek to build on placed efforts at this venue.
How the race shapes up
With the pace shape rated as unclear and low confidence in the run-style data, it is difficult to be certain how the race will unfold. What A Tahoo is the only horse with a noted tendency to go forward and make the running, yet the limited evidence overall leaves open the possibility of a more tactical affair. The key question is whether the front-running option can seize control or if the race will instead be decided by those delivered from off the pace, such as the held-up Cheerleader.
The KTB Fit ranking
- 1Zuffolo KTB Selection56/100Limited performer who has been out of the frame on his last three starts and finished only ninth on his sole visit to Ripon.
- 2Brain Freeze54/100Limited class performer who has shown just enough at this trip to win once and place on three other occasions.
- 3Dunnington Lad50/100Limited performer who has won twice from three starts at Ripon and holds a solid record on good ground with three wins from ten runs.
- 4Cheerleader50/100Limited performer who has shown just enough at this track and trip to stay competitive in weak company.
- 5What A Tahoo50/100Limited class performer who has shown enough to win a couple of times already this year.
- 6Doralee39/100Limited performer who has been placed on her last two visits to Ripon and showed she can be competitive on good ground.
The contenders
Zuffolo KTB Fit 56/100
Zuffolo is a limited performer who has been out of the frame on his last three starts and finished only ninth on his sole visit to Ripon. He has won at this trip but his record on good ground is modest with just two wins from seventeen runs, and the first-time headgear is an unknown. Trainer Michael Dods has a 9% strike rate at the track from 388 runs while jockey Rhys Elliott, who is 0-11 here, adds further caution despite his 22% strike rate and positive A/E of 2.14 from 23 rides at Ripon. The six-year-old arrives with recent form figures of -82083 and is the KTB Selection.
Brain Freeze KTB Fit 54/100
Brain Freeze is a limited class performer who has shown just enough at this trip to win once and place on three other occasions. He has been placed on his only run at Ripon and on good ground, though he has been rather up and down this year with form figures of 051365. The three-year-old now tries first-time headgear in the hope of finding extra, having already shown competitive form without winning on good. Trainer Michael Dods has a 9% strike rate at the track from 388 runs while jockey Alex Jary brings a 15% strike rate and A/E of 1.41 from 40 rides here.
Dunnington Lad KTB Fit 50/100
Dunnington Lad is a limited performer who has won twice from three starts at Ripon and holds a solid record on good ground with three wins from ten runs. He has also won five times at this trip from 27 starts and arrives in reasonable form after a placed effort last time, with recent figures of -90673. Dropping in class can only help the six-year-old, whose trainer Peter Winks boasts a 40% strike rate at the track from five runs and an A/E of 4.91. Jockey Clifford Lee, with a 16% strike rate from 90 rides at Ripon, is another positive.
Cheerleader KTB Fit 50/100
Cheerleader is a limited performer who has shown just enough at this track and trip to stay competitive in weak company. She has placed twice on good ground and was second here last year, though the bare form of her two runs this season has been nothing special with figures of 728-94. Dropping in class is a plus for the four-year-old, who is usually held up and produces her effort late. Trainer Tina Jackson has a modest 5% strike rate at Ripon from 64 runs while the yard's 33% record when teaming up with jockey Warren Fentiman offers some encouragement.
The rest of the field
What A TahooKTB Fit 50/100
What A Tahoo is a limited class performer who has shown enough to win a couple of times already this year. He has course form in the book plus a solid record at this trip and on good ground, with recent figures of 433151, though the Fahey yard has a modest strike-rate here and Cam Hardie has not made the track pay either.
DoraleeKTB Fit 39/100
Doralee is a limited performer who has been placed on her last two visits to Ripon and showed she can be competitive on good ground. She has won over today's trip though her overall strike-rate is modest and recent form has been ordinary with figures of 336944; the Barron yard posts a fair 12% strike-rate at the track.
KTB verdict
Zuffolo is named the KTB Selection in a race where the tightly packed Fit scores and uncertain pace make for an open-looking contest. His selection rests on being the top-rated on KTB's figures despite a modest profile, with the first-time headgear potentially helping him to put a poor run at the track behind him. The main dangers are headed by Brain Freeze, who has shown enough at the trip and at this venue, while Dunnington Lad's strong course record and drop in class make him a clear threat, and Cheerleader cannot be dismissed on her previous placing here.
KTB Selection Zuffolo
This is the narrative read of the 8:40 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 strongest course record at Ripon?
Dunnington Lad has won twice from three starts at Ripon.
How many horses are wearing first-time headgear?
Two horses are wearing first-time headgear: Zuffolo and Brain Freeze.
Which runner has the best recent placed form at this track?
Doralee has been placed on her last two visits to Ripon.
Who has the highest trainer strike rate at Ripon among the runners?
Peter Winks has a 40% strike rate at Ripon from five runs with Dunnington Lad.
Which horse tends to race prominently?
What A Tahoo tends to make the running or race on the pace.
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