Ripon Nap May 25: Jilly Cooper can lead rivals home
Ripon racecourse paddock
Ripon stages an interesting evening card on Wednesday, May 25 and Planet Sport’s Jonathan Doidge heads there for a Yorkshire-trained selection.
I've always loved Ripon racecourse and have had some very profitable days there over the years, so let's hope that's maintained with my Wednesday selection.
I think there's an opportunity in the fourth race on the card, which is a fillies' handicap over a mile. That is Ripon's round course. There isn't a huge run from the stalls to the bend and the round course traditionally favours those up with or setting the pace.
With that in mind, I am going to side with the Charlie and Mark Johnston-trained Jilly Cooper to win it. It's 11-months since she won a Hamilton 5f sprint as a novice, on her second start.
She certainly had sufficient pace there and in a couple of other subsequent runs over further, to suggest that she can again be up there in the van and hopefully overcome a draw from stall six of seven in this event.
If Jason Hart can get her out and handy, then I think this step up to a mile (and she's the sister of 1m winner Bardo Contiguo and by high class mile/10f winner Lope De Vega), I think she could represent a bit of value against a couple of other better-drawn opponents.
She's had the beneft of a run this season, being well held here over 6f but I think she can do better now upped again in trip, so it's Jilly Cooper to win the 18:55 at Ripon on Wednesday.
