The British Stallion Studs EBF Ripon Champion Two Yrs Old Trophy Stakes takes centre stage on Bank Holiday Monday, with a competitive field assembled for the feature race at the Yorkshire track. Sky Sports Racing will broadcast the action from Ripon, alongside meetings at Chepstow and Southwell throughout the afternoon.
According to Racing Post's racecard, the 6f contest for two-year-olds carries a £55,000 guaranteed prize pool with £30,811 going to the winner, and the ground is described as good to soft in places. An eight-runner field has been assembled for the 15:05 fixture.
Clash Of Hearts leads the way at Ripon
Clash Of Hearts arrives with solid recent form and represents the strongest claims in the feature. The colt secured his maiden victory at Pontefract in decisive fashion before stepping up in class at Glorious Goodwood, where he ran respectably in a nursery handicap.
Most recently, Clash Of Hearts finished fifth in the Group Three Acomb Stakes at York, just over five lengths adrift of the well-regarded winner Haffner. That effort suggests he has the quality to compete at this level.
Rogue Jewel brings an impressive record to the table, boasting two wins from two starts for The Rogues Gallery team. The colt has already tasted success at Ripon, securing his second victory at the track recently, and trainer Ed Bethell will be confident of another bold showing.
Pure Mint represents the powerful Crisford operation under jockey Harry Davies after an impressive victory here last month. The Crisfords have established a formidable record at Ripon, capturing three of the last six renewals of this race, and their son of Minzaal must be respected as a serious contender.
According to the betting forecast, Not My Type and Pure Mint are joint-favourites at 11/4, with Rogue Jewel next in the market at 7/2.
English Oak seeks to bounce back at 3.40
The Ripon Rowels Handicap at 3.40 features English Oak, the top-rated runner in the field at 102, a full 9lb clear of his nearest rivals on the handicap. The Royal Ascot winner possesses the class credentials to dominate this contest if he can put behind him a disappointing 16th-place finish from 18 runners in the Golden Mile at Goodwood last month.
Thunder Roar has dropped back to his last winning mark of 93, a significant move after being raised to 100 in the interim. The drop in the weights is encouraging, particularly given that he scored at Ayr last September when rated at this level.
Mr Professor, the 2024 Lincoln winner, makes his third start for trainer Kevin Philippart de Foy. The colt comes into the race off the back of a second-place finish at Kempton, suggesting he remains competitive at this grade.
Revelance faces weight penalty in Chepstow Mile Series Final
The valuable LSL Racing Chepstow Mile Series Final Handicap at 4.35 sees the winner claim just over £20,000 in prize money. Revelance carries top weight and faces a 4lb rise in the handicap after taking out her Chepstow Mile Series Qualifier here at the beginning of August in commanding fashion under the cool ride of Eddy Greatrex.
Nakaaha, who finished second on that occasion, must concede 7lb to Revelance this time around, a significant swing in the weights considering the margin of defeat last time out.
Spirit Of The Bay won at Chepstow in July before running a credible third in the aforementioned qualifier. Rating, Too Much Trevor and Redhot Whisper all arrive here off the back of victories at the track and cannot be overlooked in what shapes as a competitive handicap.
Southwell completes the Monday card
According to Southwell's scheduled fixture, the all-weather track stages a full eight-race programme beginning at 13:32 and concluding at 17:35. The final race of the day is a three-year-old-only 6f handicap with 14 runners and £3,768 to the winner, completing a busy Monday of flat racing action across three venues broadcast live on Sky Sports Racing.
