OUT DO may still be awaiting his first success of the season, but opportunity is expected to come knocking for David O'Meara's talented sprinter in the feature race at Ripon this afternoon.

The five-year-old has strung together a sequence of placed efforts and although he finished out of the frame at York on his latest start, he finished a creditable fifth in the valuable Sky Bet Dash, beaten only two and a half lengths by Muthmir, who finished a close-up third in Saturday's 32Red Stewards' Cup at Goodwood.

On his previous outing, Out Do had been denied by half-length winner Blaine in a thrilling finish to the Scottish Stewards' Cup at Hamilton, which represented another rock-solid effort from the North Yorkshire gelding.

The Weatherbys Stallion Book Summer Sprint Trophy is hardly his for the taking with the likes of Another Wise Kid and My Name Is Rio in the line-up, but this six furlong contest looks a race in which Out Do can finally get his head in front. He is awarded the nap vote to score under Danny Tudhope.

Tim Easterby can clinch the City Welter Handicap with Dutch Breeze.

The likeable three-year-old broke his maiden on this course three starts ago and has since finished in the frame in two handicaps, one on this course and the other, most recently, at York, where he was beaten less than a length into third by Meadway over five and a half furlongs. He can get back on top over the minimum trip this afternoon.

Mark Johnston, pictured, clinched the trainers' title at Goodwood last week after an excellent week in which he saddled four winners over the five days and a whole host of placed horses.

Johnston, enjoying another tremendous campaign, can figure on the scoreboard at Ripon this afternoon with Opera Fan in the Fossgate Handicap.

A Beverley winner earlier in the season, the Middleham filly has not made huge progress since then, but this return to a mile and a half should suit her after being a beaten favourite over ten furlongs at Leicester a couple of weeks ago. Joe Fanning, who was also in great form at Goodwood, takes the mount.

In the Ripon Remembers The Great War Handicap, Muffin Mcleay promises to go well, despite top weight.

David Barron's gelding has gone close to winning on his last two starts at this venue. He is a previous course and distance winner and has every chance of adding to his tally under Graham Gibbons.

Carlisle's evening meeting is an annually novel affair, the only fixture in Britain where every race is confined to female riders, amateur and professional. It's a big night for the lady riders with seven races on offer and a lot of pride at stake.

Serena Brotherton looks to have an outstanding winning chance on Cashpoint in the CFM Cash 4 Kids Claiming Stakes.

The nine-year-old, trained by Ian Williams, has been in excellent form this season. A 20-1 winner of the Zetland Gold Cup in May, he recently won a claiming race at Deauville in France. He should be too good for his rivals.

Hayley Turner, far and away the most successful and celebrated rider in action on the programme, has good prospects of winning on Mambo Spirit in the Lloyd Carlisle BMW Handicap. Although in the twilight of his career, the ten-year-old was a good winner at Bath recently for trainer Tony Newcombe.

Turner also teams-up with recent Carlisle hurdles winner Goldan Jess (7.45) trained by Philip Kirby, as well as Michael Herrington's hat-trick seeking Kuwait Star (8.15). Both have decent claims in the hands of a Group 1-winning jockey.

 

Selections

Ripon today

2.00 Faraajh, 2.30 Camanche Grey, 3.00 Muffin McLeay, 3.30 Out Do (NAP), 4.00 Dutch Breeze, 4.30 Haydn's Lass, 5.00 Opera Fan.

Carlisle today

5.45 Diddy Eric, 6.15 Cashpoint, 6.45 Sunny Side Up, 7.15 Mambo Spirit, 7.45 Goldan Jess, 8.15 Kuwait Star, 8.45 Giovanni Jack.

Today's other meetings

Kempton and Windsor.

Tomorrow's meetings

Catterick, Ffos Las, Kempton and Ripon.