2025 Ripon & Newbury Saturday Preview – DS
2025 Ripon & Newbury Saturday Tips
For the first time ever, Beauvatier finished out of the first three at Deauville on Sunday. He shaped well to a point but in the end, found nothing. The only possible reason I can come up with for the run is that the ground was maybe a shade quick. Anyway, we move onwards and hopefully upwards, Dave Stevos’ 2025 Ripon & Newbury Saturday Tips are below.
1.50 Newbury – Geoffrey Freer Stakes (Group 3)
One of just two stakes races this Saturday but only six run. It is fair to say this is not a vintage day of racing and this race certainly doesn’t appeal as a betting heat. We’ll move on swiftly. No bet.
2025 Ripon & Newbury Saturday Tip: No Bet
2.05 Newmarket – Grey Horse Handicap (Class 4)
He isn’t a massive price but Silver Samurai surely has to be worth chancing each way in this class 4 handicap which is restricted to grey horses only. Trained by Marco Botti, this 8yo son of the late Cable Bay won this race in 2023 off 87 and he is back to try to regain his crown off 2lb lower.
After a slow start to the season, this fella has shaped like he was coming back to form in two of his last three runs. At Kempton in May he was beaten 1.5l in a 7f handicap and then last time out at Doncaster (7f, gd-fm), he was only a length behind the winner Grand Traverse and both he, and the third Billyb, have won since.
Sandwiched in between those runs was a seventh place finish at Chelmsford. However, Silver Samurai missed the kick and didn’t get the clearest of runs, so it was a better effort than his finishing position suggests. If he can repeat the level of form he showed at Donny, Silver Samurai is capable of going close here at odds of 11/1.
2025 Ripon & Newbury Saturday Tip: Sliver Samurai e/w @ 11/1 NB
2.25 Newbury – D&H Handicap (Class 3)
Exactly a year ago we backed Faustus in this race at fancy odds and he duly obliged. It was his first visit to Newbury and he scored by a neck off a mark of 75. He found things tough off his revised mark subsequently but two starts ago, on his first run over this C&D since his victory in this last year, he got back to winning ways.
Running off a mark of 68, he bounced out, went to the front and never came back. That made it two wins from two runs over this C&D and he is back to defend his crown off 74, 1lb lower than he was when winning last year.
The one difference this time is that he is drawn in stall 9, compared to stall 4 last year, but there usually isn’t much of a draw bias here so the speedy son of Mayson should be fine. Ryan Kavanagh, who won on him here last month, is back on board and with his 5lb claim, Faustus is effectively just 1lb higher than he was for his victory here 44 days ago. At odds of 14/1, Faustus is the e/w selection.
2025 Ripon & Newbury Saturday Tip: Faustus e/w @ 14/1
2.45 Ripon – Silver Cup Handicap (Class 4)
A high draw is what you want at this venue over 6f and that’s what Woodstock has. Trained by Ruth Carr, whose horses have been running well, this horse arrives here on the back of a couple of middling efforts at Newbury and Ascot.
However, due to his recent form his mark has now slid to 78 and that’s 4lb below the mark he last won off at Newbury on this weekend a year ago. I was wondering why Carr hasn’t targeted that same race again but the prize money for this race is almost double what he won at Newbury, so it makes perfect sense to come here instead.
The draw gods have been kind, Jason Hart had a sighter on him at Ascot last month and given the prize money on offer, hopefully Woodstock will be trying his best. At odds of 16/1, he is the e/w selection.
2025 Ripon & Newbury Saturday Tip: Woodstock e/w @ 16/1 (5 places) NAP
3.00 Newbury – TPT Fire Handicap (Class 2)
It isn’t often that I’d be tipping up a 12yo on a Saturday over jumps, let alone on the Flat, but it’s just one of those type of days. Documenting is a legend of a horse and one of his 12 career victories came in this race in 2022 off a mark of 99.
He skipped the race in 2023 but he came back for another go last year and he was only denied by 0.75l in third off a mark of 94 at odds of 50/1. I’d imagine this has been the main aim for him this term and he gets in off a mark of 85, 9lb lower than he was last year and 14lb lower than when he won it.
He has run fine races on his last two starts, so he clearly retains a fair level of ability and while this is undeniably harder, he loves this place. Hopefully Documenting has one more big day in him, at odds of 20/1 he is the each way play.
2025 Ripon & Newbury Saturday Tip: Documenting e/w @ 20/1
3.20 Ripon – Great St Wilfrid Handicap (Class 2)
Just like the previous race at Ripon, a high draw is a big advantage in this valuable handicap. Nine of the last eleven winners have started from a double figure draw and while it isn’t impossible to win from a lower stall, it is definitely a tougher task. The one I’ll take a punt on is Prince Of Pillo from stall 16.
One of three in here trained by Richard Fahey, who has won this race three times, this son of Prince Of Lir has been handed an excellent draw. Now, he does have to bounce back from a trio of below par efforts but he has slipped back to a mark off 88, the same rating he won off at Southwell back in April.
His best runs for Fahey have been on the AW but this fella was a very useful 2yo when trained by Keith Dalgleish and his only previous start at this venue saw him win the Hornblower quite comfortably. That was over 5f but he’s best at 6f these days and he hasn’t had that many chances to run on turf since moving to this yard.
Given that he has won here before, I am hoping that Fahey has targeted this race and at odds of 16/1, it is worth taking the chance that he has.
2025 Ripon & Newbury Saturday Tip: Prince Of Pillo e/w @ 16/1 (5 places)
3.35 Newbury – Hungerford Stakes (Group 2)
Witness Stand looks to follow up his Goodwood win last time but unfortunately, he isn’t a 25/1 shot today. I can’t really make a strong case for any of the big outsiders here and I think we have enough bets placed already given the questionable quality of the fare on offer. No bet.
