A Yorkshire Treat on a Friday Afternoon
There's something rather special about an afternoon at Ripon when the sun's out and the quality's up. Reminds me of those Friday escapes my father used to orchestrate when I was a lad – "educational purposes," he'd tell my mother with a wink, before we'd bundle into the Morris Minor for a dash up to Yorkshire. Today's Ripon racecard had that same feel of anticipation about it, with Group company gracing the Dales and plenty of talking horses on show.
The going rode perfectly at 43% soil moisture – that sweet spot where the track has just enough give without becoming testing. It's the sort of surface that brings out the best in good horses and doesn't flatter the moderate ones, which made for some genuinely informative racing.
Group Class Takes Centre Stage
The headline act was always going to be the bet365 Mile, and what a cracker it shaped up to be on paper. Field of Gold arriving with a lofty 125 rating had the form purists purring, though you had to fancy Zeus Olympios and Opera Ballo to make their presence felt. Ryan Moore's booking for Zeus Olympios caught the eye particularly – when the master tactician turns up at Ripon on a Friday, you know there's serious business afoot.
The Gordon Richards Stakes earlier in the card looked a proper test too, with Almeric heading the weights off 117. There's something rather romantic about these spring Group 3s – they're often the making of horses who'll go on to bigger things come the summer festivals. Devil's Advocate looked the most progressive type in there, while King of Cities had that solid, dependable look about him that Moore does so well with.
What struck me most about both Group contests was the quality of jockeyship on show. When you've got Moore, Buick, Murphy, and the rest all congregating in North Yorkshire, you know the connections are taking these races seriously as stepping stones to better things.
Ones to Follow From the Supporting Cast
While the Group races grabbed the headlines, it was some of the supporting players that really caught my notebook's attention. In the opening bet365 Handicap, Underwriter looked potentially well-treated off 91 with Jamie Spencer doing the steering. There's something about Spencer's booking that suggests connections think there's more to come – he doesn't travel north for routine rides these days.
The Esher Cup Handicap threw up some intriguing angles too. Goodwood Galaxy topping the weights off 100 suggested he's been running well without winning lately, but it was Look To The Stars that had me reaching for the red pen. William Buick's presence and that 97 rating suggested a horse on an upward curve, and these mile handicaps at this time of year often throw up summer carnival contenders.
Down in the Classic Trial, any horse Ryan Moore chooses to partner deserves respect, and Action fitted that bill perfectly. These early season trials are goldmines for spotting future stars, and with Moore's radar rarely malfunctioning, Action went straight into the 'follow closely' column.
The Next Generation on Show
The fillies' novice stakes might have been tucked away towards the end of the card, but it's often these races that produce the most interesting future prospects. Ten fillies making their debuts or early career appearances, with the likes of Buick, Marquand, and Murphy all taking rides – that tells you the yards are taking it seriously.
Ribbon of Sea with Buick aboard immediately stood out, as did Bintsaleh with Tom Marquand. When trainers send horses to Ripon in April with top jockeys booked, they're usually expecting them to learn something useful for bigger targets later in the season. These are the sorts of races I'll be checking back on come Royal Ascot week.
The closing Ozzy Osbourne Memorial Handicap – what a brilliant race name, by the way – looked competitive enough with Colourband heading the field. James Doyle's booking suggested there might be more improvement to come from that one.
Looking Ahead
What made today's card so satisfying was the genuine quality on show and the sense that we were watching horses at important stages of their careers. The Group race winners will likely resurface at the summer festivals, while several of the handicappers looked the sort to follow through the season.
For those of us who love the rhythm of the flat season, days like this at Ripon remind you why April and May are so crucial. It's when the pieces start falling into place for the summer ahead, when trainers start showing their hands, and when the really good horses begin to separate themselves from the pack.
The quality of jockeyship alone told you this was a card worth paying attention to. When the championship riders make the trek to Yorkshire on a Friday, they're not there for the scenery – they're there because they know something we don't. Today's action should provide plenty of pointers for the months ahead, and I suspect we'll be talking about several of these performances come the autumn.
