Ripon Preview: Long Awaited weighted to strike

The David Chapman Memorial Handicap is the feature race on this evening’s card at Ripon (7.45), and Long Awaited looks weighted to take all the beating.

The David Barron trained gelding is a useful sprinter when on-song, as he showed when producing a good turn of foot to beat Fair Value by a cosy 1/2 a over 5f at Epsom back in August 2012 off a mark of 86.

Although the six-year-old has failed to get his head in front since, the son of Pivotal has run some solid races to be placed in better grade events.

They include an excellent fourth of 17 to Kingsgate Choice in the class 2 Scottish Sprint Cup off 94, and a 2 1/2 lengths fourth of 19 to Masamah at Ascot last year in another class 2 contest.

The six-year-old has not been at his best in three starts this season, but his mark has fallen as a result and Long Awaited is now back down to the same mark as when last successful.

That gives Long Waited a big shout at the weights, especially now dropping down into class 3 company for just the second time in two years.

Crystal Wish makes her handicap debut in the 5f nursery (6.45) and could be well have got in lightly.

The daughter of Exceed And Excel has only had three runs, and ran really well on the second of those when beaten just over four lengths into third behind Adulation at Catterick.

The 90-rated winner has previously run well to finish 11th of 21 to Anthem Alexander in the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes at Royal, and the runner-up Magic Florence went on to score next time up to give the form a solid look in the contest of this class 5 contest.
It makes Crytal Wish’s opening mark of 63 look exploitable, especially of the fitting of the tongue-tie for the first time has the desired effect.

In the 2m handicap (8.15), Deepsand holds solid claims after a cracking effort to finish runner-up at York last time out.

The Tim Easterby trained gelding went down by just 1 1/2 lengths to Nanton in an extended 1m 6f handicap on the Knavesmire, leading at the furlong marker until getting collared close home.