Saturday ITV Racing Tips: Backing two Easterby big prices at 16/1 and 25/1 at Ripon

• Two big prices for Ripon feature each-way

• Grey horse added to the punting ledger

• Alan Dudman previews the ITV action

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Newbury - 13:50 - No Bet

With four races on ITV on Saturday from Newbury, it is most certainly the trickiest card as 12mm hit the track on Friday morning with the promise of more rain on the way, so soft conditions are a distinct possibility. My two ante-post selections in Grand Alliance and Chartwell House haven't made it and more non-runners are expected.

For Friday's card, it was already soft in places before racing.

Grand Alliance was a big price for the Geoffrey Freer at 13:50, but not a lot has changed in my willingness to leave alone the Charlie Appleby horse Kemari - mainly due to the poor season the trainer is having. His older horses have often been a source of rich profits in the past, but only 11 of his 4yos+ have won this term, plus Kemari has raced mostly on good ground save for a couple of runs in France.

He last won the race in 2018 with Hamada.

Arrest was well backed on the Sportsbook on Friday morning from 9/43.25 into 15/82.88 for the Gosdens and Frankie Dettori, which is understandable given his powerful Chester Vase win in soft conditions. He was a runaway winner in that, and while there are questions to answer after two heavy defeats including his poor Derby run, I don't want to be taking 15/82.88 on him as I feel I have missed the price.

He'll enjoy a return to going left-handed, and is dropping down substantially in class.

Klondike will certainly enjoy more rain and he's a half-brother to Kemari and I think he'll stay, while it's hard to fancy Shandoz after such a long lay of 656 days.

In short, it's a race we can leave alone.

Newbury - 14:25 - Back Harry Brown EW

The second Newbury race is a tough 5f Handicap with 11 declared, but again, with the possibility of the ground changing to genuine soft or heavy, potential non-runners could change the complexion of the race.

It was a handicap I swerved early in the week on ante-post duties, and Harry Brown was a mover from 12/113.00 into 7/18.00 on Friday morning.

Looking at his ledger, he has largely been kept away from soft ground, but he seemed to act on it on his debut. He has also performed well on good to soft.

His run at Royal Ascot certainly gets him as one to have onside for this, as he won his group in a field of seven over the far side and this looks a far easier race.

He's had quite a light campaign with three starts and finished third at Goodwood at the start of the season in a rough race. I'd prefer David Simcock to be in better form as he's only 2-22 at 9% in the past fortnight, but as one of the 3yos who still has a bit of potential in a Saturday handicap, he's been eased slightly in the weights to 87 to sneak under the ceiling of 0-88 and hopefully they stick to a prominent ride - which is most unusual for runners from that yard.

Newbury - 15:00 - Back Scholarship

Fourteen were in the 7f 15:00 Handicap at the time of writing early on Friday, so just two short of the golden 16 is a slight dampener on the each-way chances.

A couple of the older brigade will be hoping to prove age is nothing but a number with the 9yos Bless Him and Accidental Agent, but neither are in form, and still look on tough marks considering both are in the twilight of their careers.

Open Mind for Saeed bin Suroor and Oisin Murphy also looks short enough at 5/16.00 as he's another in my opinion that looks on a stiff looking mark.

Scholarship has to be one of interest with a return to Newbury and also any rain deluges as he is a proven soft ground performer.

He beat Hectic over CD at the start of the season in the spring and backed it up with a good third at Ascot soon after. He has disappointed on his last two starts but the ground has been quicker - and with the first-time blinkers on and racing off 8-10, I like his chances with the ground.

His trainer Clive Cox has a 25% placed record with the blinkers applied, and Harry Brown is a big old unit who should stay 1m down the line. In fact I am surprised he's only had one shot at that trip.

Ripon - 14:40 - Back Northcliff EW

The first of two from Ripon on Saturday hopefully will serve up the chance for four or five places and 19 are in the 14:40 6f Handicap and we also have the extra place here on the Sportsbook.

Again, this was a race I initially side-stepped in Chris Waddle fashion and Snash has been the big mover from 25/126.00 into 14/115.00 on the Sportsbook for Tim Easterby. Absolutelyflawless was another mover from 20/121.00 into 14/115.00. Easterby has three of the 19 too.

Easterby's Northcliff at 16/117.00 is worth an each-way punt as he has fallen in the weights down to 72 and he looked to have a bit of ability as a 2yo.

He was last seen at York, but racing over the far side proved a hindrance there and he has been well beaten on his last two handicap starts.

With the cheekpieces on for the first-time, I give him a chance from his falling mark. It's a race big on numbers, but it's a 0-80.

Ripon - 15:15 - Back Sophia's Starlight and Hyperfocus

I'm pleased that two of the bigger prices I selected for the Great St Wilfrid are still in - and both haven't budged in price either with Sophia's Starlight 10/111.00 and Hyperfocus 25/126.00.

You can click here for the reasoning with both with the latter drawn in 19 and Sophia's Starlight berthed in six.

That's ideal for me with one either side, as playing on both extremes hopefully gets us one home in a place if there's some sort of bias.

Monsieur Kodi for Richard Fahey has been shortened on the Sportsbook from 9/110.00 into 6/17.00, and Mark Walford's previous course winner It Just Takes Time was another mover from 20s into 12s, so the price has gone on him.

Newmarket - 14:05 - Back Secret Guest EW

One of my other selections Simple Man was pulled out from the declarations, and I was really looking forward to seeing him, so it gives as an opportunity to have a go at the famous Grey Horse Handicap - well famous for the greys anyway.

It opens up the Newmarket card on Saturday with one of the races from HQ televised, and at the time of writing the ground was good in places. HQ have been a bit too watering-happy this season, so with any rain for Friday's card meaning dead ground or loose on top is one of my pet hates.

With the gloomy forecast too, hopefully we can pierce the gloom with a winner in an open race at 9/25.50 the field.

Another of the younger brigade in the 3yo bracket here looks a good price with Bryan Smart's Secret Guest at 10/111.00 as he looked so good winning a 0-85 at Doncaster earlier in the season.

He won that by over 2L and finished powerfully at the end, and if the ground stays on the good side (here's hoping), is well worth playing each-way.

They went a fairly even pace in that, if a touch hard early, but his key sectionals running two sub-11 second furlongs in the middle of the race were impressive, and Donny is quite a long way home too.

He blew all chance of running any sort of race at York last time in a valuable handicap worth 52K as he reared completely and surrendered too big a lead. He's only young and there's still scope from a 2lb lower mark for Smart, although the trainer is quiet at the moment without a winner from his last 15.

Good luck for Saturday and TC is back next week.

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