Ripon, Saturday 18 July 2026 — Tips and Best Bets

Ripon, Saturday 18 July 2026 — Tips and Best Bets

A seven-race card at Ripon on good ground, and while Glorious Goodwood is just ten days away pulling some of the headline acts south, there is still plenty to work with here. Three handicaps across a mile, a mile-two, and a mile-four give punters real angles to dig into. The going suits proven form horses, and with Silvestre De Sousa boasting a 23% strike rate around this track, his rides deserve extra attention wherever he turns up.

3:15 Ripon Bell-ringer Handicap Stakes (1m4f, Good, £25,770)

This is a competitive mile-and-a-half handicap and the race that opens the serious afternoon action. Star Harbour tops the figures on a rating of 98, and that number does a lot of the heavy lifting here. A second two starts back shows the form is there, he has already handled this trip and this going, and the visor returns following a 20-day break. Adrian McGuinness has been in decent nick with 3 from 29 over the last fortnight, not spectacular, but this horse carries the best official mark in the field and that counts at a fair price.

Selection: Star Harbour Each-Way at 8/1 (Betfred), best available against 7/1 elsewhere. Three places at 1/5 odds.

Salamanca City is the alternative case. James Fanshawe has been red hot with 4 from 15 over the last 14 days, and his mare won last time out. She is rated 88, which puts her sixth of eight, so the task is harder than it looks, but a yard that in-form is worth following wherever they saddle up.

Spioradalta under Mark Walford is also worth a line. Walford hits at 16% here with an A/E of 1.32, meaning his Ripon runners win at better than expected price points. Paul Mulrennan knows the course, and 7/1 on a horse that has won twice in six starts and handles this trip and going is not without appeal.

3:53 Sky Bet Go-Racing-in-Yorkshire Summer Festival Handicap Stakes (1m2f, Good, £7,731)

Six runners, and the form angle points clearly to one horse. Midnight Strike won last time out, wearing the same tongue-tie and cheekpieces combination that are fitted again today. Jennie Candlish has a 20% strike rate at Ripon with an A/E of 1.32, which tells you her runners here win at better odds than their market price suggests. De Sousa rides, and he wins 23% of his Ripon mounts. Stack those factors together and you have a compelling case at 6/1.

Selection: Midnight Strike at 6/1 (Boyle Sports, Betfred, LiveScore Bet). Two places at 1/4 odds.

Lucky Hero tops the figures on 84, equal best in the field, and was winning three starts back. A 36-day absence is the question, and David O’Meara’s yard has been returning only 3 from 53 over the past fortnight, which is well below their usual level. That keeps him offside as a bet, but he is the most likely danger if he arrives fit.

Wild Violet is the market leader at 13/8, but she is now rated bottom of the field on 71, stepping up in class after winning a softer race. A 34-day break with Michael Bell managing only 1 from 16 recently adds doubt. The price does not reflect the risk.

4:25 Sky Bet For the Fans Handicap Stakes (1m, Good, £7,731)

Seven runners over a mile, and this comes down to a straight fight between Cadarn and Jesmond Dawn, with Cadarn carrying the better rating but Jesmond Dawn carrying a cracking yard stat.

Grant Tuer has been firing over the last fortnight, returning 4 from 11, and that is a trainer in form by any measure. Jesmond Dawn won last time out and backed that with a placed effort earlier in the campaign. Yes, his official rating of 67 sits at the bottom of the field, but weights are staggered in handicaps for a reason, and a yard returning 36% in the last two weeks is not to be ignored lightly.

Cadarn, however, tops the ratings on 87, won last time out, and has handled this trip and going before. Kevin Ryan’s recent strike rate is poor at 1 from 25, which is the one caveat, but the horse himself arrives in winning form and is entitled to go off favourite.

Jimmy Speaking has done nothing wrong at course level with two wins in three starts before his flop last time, and Chris Dwyer has gone 1 from 4 in the fortnight. The 43-day gap and that poor last run make him harder to trust at 6/4.

Selection: Cadarn at 7/2 (Boyle Sports, Betfred). Wins the form argument on rating and recent win, and the mile on good ground suits.

Today’s NAP

Midnight Strike — Sky Bet Go-Racing-in-Yorkshire Summer Festival Handicap Stakes (3:53, Ripon)
Odds: 6/1 — Boyle Sports (others: 6/1 Betfred, 6/1 LiveScore Bet)

The angles here stack up in a way that does not happen often. Jennie Candlish wins at Ripon at 20% with an A/E above 1.30, meaning her runners here consistently return better than their odds suggest. Silvestre De Sousa, who hits 23% at this track, takes the ride. Midnight Strike won last time out with the same equipment fitted today, and his rating of 84 puts him second in a six-runner field. A horse in form, a trainer that punches above weight at this course, and the best jockey on the Ripon stats sheet. At 6/1, this is the bet of the day.

Each-Way Recommended 2 places at 1/4 odds