OFF ART, who failed to justify favouritism at York's Dante Festival, returns to the fray at Ripon this afternoon in a bid to recover losses.

The Tim Easterby-trained gelding had finished an excellent runner-up in the Thirsk Hunt Cup from a wide draw on his reappearance, a performance which impressed many, hence his position at the top of the market in his following race on Knavesmire.

Off Art, however, was unable to land a serious blow and finished seventh in a hot race over a mile. He runs over the same trip once again in today's £12,000 Weatherbys Hamilton Handicap and is set to carry top weight of 9st 7lb.

Although this is a competitive contest, it is not as challenging as his latest York race and Off Art, a smart horse on his day, is fancied to come out on top.

Easterby could also have a say in the outcome of the Michael Padley Memorial Handicap with Pacngo.

Duran Fentiman's mount showed a reasonable amount of promise last season, despite remaining a maiden. She was a little disappointing on her reappearance at Redcar last month when fading out of contention but it would be unwise to write her off at this stage and a better showing is hoped for this afternoon from a mid-field draw in a modest contest.

Secret Lightning may prove the solution to the Follow @RiponRaces on Twitter Handicap.

Michael Appleby's gelding has been in good form lately, winning at Leicester and running well since in defeat at Beverley and Newmarket, where he was beaten by only a neck into third last week.

Appleby and his main jockey Andrew Mullen can complete a double with Jacobs Son in the Ladies Day June 18th Book Now Handicap.

The seven-year-old came good at Leicester last week and may be good enough to complete a quick double, despite a less than ideal draw.

Paul Hanagan, who took the honours at Haydock on Saturday when riding a four-timer, which included the Group 2 Sandy Lane Stakes on Adday, followed-up in France on Sunday when posting a major sprint success on Muthmir, who had been narrowly beaten in the Duke Of York Stakes on Knavesmire last month.

Hanagan has good prospects of a couple more winners at Ripon. He teams-up with Richard Fahey, his former boss who put him up on two Haydock winners, aboard Ventura Quest in the RiponBet Our Profits Stay In Racing Handicap. The step up to a mile and a quarter is likely to suit the four-year-old, who finished a close-up fourth at Beverley last time.

Hanagan wears the colours of his retaining owner, Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum in the SIS Live Maiden Stakes, in which he rides the Charles Hills-trained Alnashama.

The colt was a beaten favourite at Redcar last time, but the Hills string are in better form now than they were then and Alnashama is worth another chance to fulfil his promising juvenile form.

At Wolverhampton's evening meeting, Surround Sound can land the opening Wolverhampton Tips @ bookies.com Apprentice Handicap.

The in-form Rachel Richardson has the mount on the Tim Easterby-trained gelding, who finished a respectable fourth to Tapis Libre at Musselburgh back on turf last time and who had won over this course and distance in early last month. He is napped to get back on top.

Van Wilder is no stranger to this course, having been here on all three of his career starts. He has won twice and goes for a third in the Enjoy Daily Racing Tips @ bookies.com Handicap. Tony Hamilton takes the mount on Richard Fahey's three-year-old, who steps up to seven furlongs for the first time.

Hold Firm (7.50), who has course and distance-winning form, should go well for Mark Tompkins and Jimmy Quinn, while Geoff Harker's Cabal (9.20), another able to boast previous success at this track, can make his journey from North Yorkshire well worthwhile. Graham Gibbons has the mount.

SELECTIONS: Ripon today

2.25 Man Of Time, 2.55 Secret Lightning, 3.25 Ventura Quest, 3.55 Off Art, 4.25 Pacngo, 4.55 Alnashama, 5.25 Jacobs Son

Wolverhampton today

6.20 Surround Sound (NAP), 6.50 Teversham, 7.20 Van Wilder, 7.50 Hold Firm, 8.20 Hakka, 8.50 Pearl Ransom, 9.20 Cabal