Weekend Horse Racing: Fahey Eyeing Another Big Payday at Ripon

Punters should be in their element on Saturday, with Newbury and Ripon both staging meetings packed with top-class action.

There are two Group races on the card at Newbury, while the highlight at Ripon is the Great St Wilfrid Handicap.

Read on as preview the standout races at both courses, starting with a look at one of the most competitive six-furlong events of the year.

Monsieur Kodi continued his steep upward curve on his most recent outing, running out an impressive winner of a classy handicap at Goodwood earlier this month.

The Richard Fahey trained four-year-old is a best-priced 17/2 on several new betting sites to follow up in the Great St Wilfrid and that looks decent each-way value.

Horses aged between four to six years-old have won 76% of the last 21 editions of this race, while two of the last three winners have carried 8st 7lbs or under.

Jockey Connor Beasley won this race aboard Intrinsic Bond last year and has an excellent chance of repeating the trick this weekend.

Arrest looked to be a star in the making when winning the Chester Vase earlier this season, but things have not gone to plan since then.

He ran poorly in the Epsom Derby, before failing to fire behind King of Steel in the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot. 

After being given time to recover from those exertions, Arrest could reward connections by running well in the Geoffrey Freer Stakes at Newbury.

Arrest can be backed at 16/1 on numerous UK betting sites to win the St Leger at Doncaster next month. Those odds will disappear if he bounces back on Saturday.

The Group 2 Hungerford Stakes at Newbury has attracted a decent field, but two runners stand head and shoulders above the rest – Jumby and Chindit.

The best betting apps rate Jumby as the marginal favourite to win the race for the second year in a row, but Chindit is fancied to lower his colours.

The Richard Hannon-trained horse finished a long way in front of Jumby when claiming second spot in the Group 1 Lockinge Stakes at this course in May.

Chindit also showed his liking for Newbury when winning the Group 3 Greenham Stakes in 2021 and looks a good bet to emerge victorious this weekend.