Our ambassador previews four contests on Newbury's Hungerford Day and assesses the big races at Ripon - both cards live on Sky Sports Racing. Extra furlong ideal for Hungerford fancy Coppull showed me enough in the Group One July Cup to convince me he is up to taking the Visit Malta Hungerford Stakes (3.10) at Newbury on Saturday, live on Sky Sports Racing. Clive Cox's three-year-old took a long time to get organised at Newmarket where the winner - Comanche Brave - got first run but this strong traveller should enjoy the extra furlong on a more conventional track.
Never So Brave will have his supporters on the back of his second in the Criterion at York over this seven-furlong trip but is struggling to get his head in front this season while Godolphin's Symbol Of Honour is solid but has never won over this distance. A more interesting runner for me is William Haggas's Extremely Zain, a course and distance winner who ran better than his final placing suggests in the International at Ascot and remains on an upward curve. This is a step up in grade, but he can acquit himself well in an ordinary renewal.
Millionaire sets standard in Geoffrey Freer Dubai Honour, who has four Group Ones and over £5 million in prize money on his CV, can roll back the years in the opening Highclere Thoroughbred Racing Geoffrey Freer Stakes (1.25) at Newbury. This eight-year-old has given my husband Tom (Marquand) some of his finest moments in the saddle and, with an excellent record fresh, can make it win number 11 on his return from a summer break. There is little between Mount Atlas and Tabletalk on their efforts in the Silver Cup at York, but I can't see either finding the improvement needed to lower the colours of Dubai Honour on these terms.
Gamrai went down fighting in the Copper Horse at Royal Ascot and, whilst he's in deeper waters now, may just benefit from the change of scenery, having joined George Scott from John and Thady Gosden. See the latest horse racing news, interviews and features from Sky Sports Racing Now he has got his head back in front, Richard Hannon's Wheels Of Fire can put up another bold show in the D&H, Excellence In Nutrition Handicap (1.55) at Newbury. He beat the re-opposing Hypnotised comfortably at Sandown and a six-pound rise may not be enough to stop him following up under Pat Dobbs, even though that rival is better off at the weights.
Chris Mason's Glamorous Breeze is entitled to go close on her solid performance at Goodwood, but Kinswoman has come up short in Listed and Group company and still has something to prove, even though she's dropping back into a handicap off a reduced rating. Humam's front-running third in a warm race at Newmarket puts him bang there for the TPT Fire Handicap (2.35) at Newbury. I loved the way this former Andrew Balding runner stuck to the task to register his best effort for Stuart Williams since being gelded in the winter.
Racing off an unchanged mark, his most recent form is more compelling than that of market rival Scoville, who has disappointed in both the Royal Hunt Cup and the Golden Mile at Goodwood and needs to improve for this drop in trip. Eve Johnson Houghton's admirable Great Acclaim has been running well in big races such as the Victoria Cup and Buckingham Palace but needs some respite from the handicapper. Never miss a story with all the latest racing news, interviews and features on your phone.
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