Ripon, Thursday 16 April: Tips and Best Bets

Ripon, Thursday 16 April: Tips and Best Bets

A sharp seven-race card at Ripon on good ground, and three races stand out with genuine betting angles. The North Yorkshire track rewards horses that handle undulations, and with good going underfoot, horses with proven turf form come right into play. Let's get into it.

3:10 — Ripon Silver Bowl Handicap (6f, 3yo, 13 runners)

This 3yo sprint handicap carries a good bit of intrigue given several of these are making seasonal or stable debuts. The one that keeps drawing the eye is Storm Esme at 11/2 with Bet365, William Hill and Coral.

Tim Easterby's record in this race is remarkable, winning it in 2016, 2019, 2022 and 2024. You do not ignore that kind of stat in a race like this. Storm Esme won her two completed starts as a juvenile in decisive fashion, taking a 6f novice at Newcastle and then defying a penalty at Leicester in October. She is unexposed, she handles good ground, and she gets in on a mark that looks workable given how easily she won those two races. The fact the form has not worked out since is largely irrelevant when she dominated both fields.

The market has been pulling towards Generous Rascal (5/1 Bet365), and you can see why. Dylan Cunha's yard has been ticking over at 2/19 recently and this horse was bought for 35,000 guineas in February before being gelded. Punters clearly expect progress, and the drop back to sprint trips looks the right call from connections. He is hard to dismiss at that price in a field this size.

Rogue Temptation for Edward Bethell is also noted. That yard has been operating at 7/20 in the last fortnight, the best strike rate in this field by some distance, and Rose Dawes has ridden well for them. But the price has compressed and Storm Esme at 11/2 offers the cleaner angle.

Selection: Storm Esme, 11/2 (Bet365, William Hill, Coral)

3:45 — Armstrong Memorial Handicap (6f, 16 runners)

American Style Each-Way at 13/2 with William Hill or Coral is the call here, and the angle is almost embarrassingly straightforward. He won this exact race 12 months ago, on this card, course and distance. He races prominently, which suits the stands' rail bias at Ripon, and while his form tailed off towards the end of 2025, those lesser efforts came when the conditions or race setup did not play to his strengths. Kevin Ryan's yard has only hit 1/19 recently but that matters less when you have a horse returning to a track and a race where he has already shown his best.

With 16 runners paying five places at 1/5 odds, the each-way case is solid at this price. He does not need to beat a red-hot market, just land in the frame behind whatever the pace scenario throws up.

Sixtygeesbaby is the other one to respect. The 50,000 guineas purchase did not have the run of the race at Doncaster and his second at Newmarket last autumn on good ground shows he can perform at this level. David O'Meara's yard is quiet at 1/21 but the Spotlight commentary is encouraging enough.

Mister Sox is a genuine threat at 12/1. Two C&D wins at this track in 2025, including a hat-trick and a further win here in August, and he ran a creditable race in a Class 2 at Ripon in September off this very mark. Easterby's wider stats look rough right now, but this horse has specific course form that demands respect. He is a genuine each-way price at 11/1 or 12/1.

Selection: American Style, 13/2 (William Hill, Coral) — Each-Way

4:16 — Ripon "Cock O' The North" Handicap (1m2f, 10 runners)

The headline price here is Spioradalta at 7/2 (Bet365), and the case is hard to argue against. Five wins last year including two course and distance victories at Ripon. He finished third at Redcar in November to close the season in good heart, then ran respectably on his comeback at Doncaster. Mark Walford's yard is ticking over at 1/20 but this is a horse returning to a track where he clearly thrives, and the step up from that reappearance run should bring him right into contention.

Spoken Truth at 9/4 is the market leader and the David O'Meara angle is interesting given this horse was a promising fourth on his stable debut at Doncaster last time. Lightly raced, potentially improver, and O'Meara knows what he has. But 9/4 is short in a ten-runner handicap, and Spioradalta offers twice the price with superior course form.

Financer at 10/1 also deserves a mention. He was runner-up in this exact race last season on his reappearance and is 2lb lower in the weights 12 months on. Easterby's overall numbers are poor recently but Financer has a specific record in this race that makes him dangerous at double-figure odds.

Pomme Pomme won her first five handicaps last year and should be expected to set the pace. Good ground suits, and if she translates that form from Hamilton and beyond to a fresh Ripon surface, she will be hitting the line hard. Worth monitoring in the market.

Selection: Spioradalta, 7/2 (Bet365)

Today's NAP