Ripon — 1 September 2026

Class 5 · 1m1f170y · Soft · 8 ran

Our bet: His Finest Hour (7/4)

Won by: Yermanthere (IRE) at 100/30 · then Draupnir (GB)

What we said: Strong, consistent recent form figures (262-32) with two placed efforts right before a narrow last-time-out second, and he shows the fastest early pace figure in the race among a field of pace-trackers, which should let him sit close to a workable tempo. Course experience (2/2 in the frame) and matched trainer/jockey figures give no reason to doubt he handles today's task, and the step up to this trip looks a fair fit given his solid form across a range of distances.

Class 4 · 5f · Soft · 7 ran

Not a bet. The horse we made most likely: Empress Princess (10/11)

Won by: The Resdev Roman (IRE) at 11/1 · then American Psycho (IRE)

What we said: Runner-up on debut at this same 5f trip just 19 days ago, and she's backed by a in-form yard (James Tate 4-18 last fortnight) plus a rider who's 27% at this course; the form and manner of that debut mark her out as clearly the classiest type in a modest novice field. She looks the one they all have to beat, and there's no standout trouble in running or draw concern to get in her way.

Class 5 · 5f · Soft · 6 ran

We passed. Likely winner: Star People (15/8)

Won by: May Bee In Profit (GB) at 9/1 · then Star People (FR)

What we said: Star People and Lexington Boom both arrive with solid recent form (a placed effort in a fast-run field, a course-and-distance win last time), but neither has a single recorded run on soft and the drop in ground here is a genuine unknown for the whole six, so there's no way to separate the market's own well-priced favourite from the front-running Lexington Boom with real conviction

Class 4 · 6f · Soft · 10 ran

We passed. Likely winner: Yes I'm Mali (6/4)

Won by: Yes I'm Mali (GB) at 8/11F · then Kind Touch (IRE), Top Juggler (IRE)

What we said: Yes I'm Mali sits favourite off a solid 022752 sequence and tracks the pace nicely, but he's unproven on this soft ground (his only run on it was unplaced) and at 6/4 there's no fresh angle beyond what the market has already built in; behind him Spirit Of Applause (433022, quick backup) and Charlie Mason both carry either a drifting profile or a bookie-above-exchange flag that argues against trusting the price. Too many moving parts and no runner clears the bar at its number today.

Class 4 · 6f · Soft · 10 ran

We passed. Likely winner: Almarada Prince (5/2)

Won by: Farandaway (IRE) at 9/2 · then Almarada Prince (IRE), Mister Sox (GB)

What we said: the write-up made a claim the racecard does not support, so this pick was withheld

Class 5 · 1m · Soft · 13 ran

We passed. Likely winner: Donna Nook (7/2)

Won by: Zermatt Star (IRE) at 40/1 · then Gunalt Wavelength (GB), Milford Grange (GB)

What we said: Too many plausible types crowd this one at square prices: Donna Nook heads the market on the strength of a stronger rating but has never raced on soft in 26 starts, Garden Oasis is the in-form course specialist yet an 11-year-old on blinkers rarely inspires conviction at 5/1, and Catton Lady arrives having won last time out but her price already reflects it — none of them clears the bar for my own money.

Class 6 · 2m · Soft · 7 ran

We passed. Likely winner: Si White (15/8)

Won by: Zimmerman (GB) at 15/8 · then Bollin Neil (GB)

What we said: Si White carries the shortest price and the best recent form-string (696135) in a moderate Class 6 stayers' handicap, but the card is explicit that it has never raced on soft in six starts, and today's testing 2m trip is exactly where that stamina-and-surface question gets asked hardest; nothing else in the field — not the drifting top-weight Twilight Safari with a poor soft-ground record, not the fresh-off-a-break Zimmerman, not the 223-day-absent Bollin Neil — offers a cleaner case to fill the gap. With the one standout carrying a real unknown and the rest either drifting, resuming, or lightly-proven, there's no runner here I'd back with conviction at today's price.