Thursday Horse Racing Tips from Steve Ryder

This looks a competitive race but PRETENDING (best priced at 11/2) showed good form at this meeting last season and comes into this race in consistent form. The Lucy Wadham trained five-year-old finished 2nd behind Under Control in the fillies’ juvenile hurdle last season on good ground and has run with credit on softer ground this season. She won on heavy ground at Sandown in December before placing at Carlisle and Ludlow on soft ground in February.

Pretending finished 2nd behind I Love My Baie at Newbury on good to soft ground last time off a mark of 105 and despite a 4lb rise from the handicapper, she looks sure to run well with up to six places available.  

COCKALORUM (best priced at 18/1) is a three-time course and distance winner at Ripon including in this race last season and he looks overpriced to repeat that victory. The Roger Fell & Sean Murray trained nine-year-old won this race by a length off a mark of 80 last season before following up by a nose over this course and distance off a mark of 82 on his next start. He hasn’t run at Ripon again since but did win at Hamilton in August beating this year’s Lincoln winner Mr Professor off a mark of 83.

This return to Ripon will suit Cockalorum and looks sure to run well on his reappearance (was the same last year). 

The Richard Spencer stable are in good form currently with two winners from their previous five runners (40% strike rate) and SHALLOW (best priced at 15/8) can hopefully complete a hat-trick of wins over this course and distance. The three-year-old finished 2nd at Kempton on his debut before returning this year with two course and distance victories. She won by 2 ¼ lengths in maiden before winning a 0-70 handicap last time by two lengths off a mark of 70.

The handicapper has raised Shallow 7lbs for that victory but she looks progressive and she should be able to get a good position from Stall 4 with Darragh Keenan (2/2 on her) retaining the ride.