Neil Morrice shares all of his best bets and tips for Thursday’s racing coming your way from Ripon, Yarmouth, Lingfield Park, Carlisle, and Sandown Park on 29 May 2025.
RIPON
Race 4 No5 ARTHUR’S REALM
Trainer: Ed Dunlop – Jockey: Danny Tudhope
ARTHUR’S REALM finished one place out of the money when returning in the Spring Mile at Doncaster to be beaten around two lengths and has to be taken seriously if he can back up that good effort. His best form is with some cut in the ground, and confidence in him will rise should the garden course receive rain.
Race 7 No2 COSMOS RAJ
Trainer: David O’Meara – Jockey: Danny Tudhope
COSMOS RAJ won at Hamilton and improved on that when narrowly beaten off a higher mark here earlier in the month. Dropping back to a mile should hold no perils for this consistent operator.
YARMOUTH
Race 4 No3 SIR EDWARD LEAR
Trainer: James Owen – Jockey: Harry Davies
SIR EDWARD LEAR was having just a third start and his first in a handicap when just run out of it at Windsor, and is worth backing to go one better. He should find this galloping track much more his cup of tea, as his a lengthener rather than a quickener, and needs to win his race some way from home.
Race 6 No1 SCARBOROUGHWARNING
Trainer: Sir Mark Prescott – Jockey: Luke Morris
Like several from her stable, SCARBOROUGHWARNING needed her first run of the season when third at Kempton. A winner on turf, she is competing off an unchanged mark and looks to have been found a very good opportunity.
LINGFIELD PARK
Race 1 No8 SMITH (Each Way)
Trainer: Lydia Richards – Jockey: Richard Kingscote
Seven times Polytrack scorer SMITH took a walk in the market but it didn’t stop him giving Easter Icon plenty to think about on his reappearance over course and distance last time. It should have served to put the cutting edge on the visored nine-year-old who looks sure to give a good account.
Race 4 No4 ELARAK
trainer: Charlie Hills – Jockey: David Probert
With Sea Poetry scratched the door is ajar for ELARAK to make his mark in this novice over a lap of the track. The Kingman colt had an educational first run at Newmarket from which he can raise his game and get into the shake-up.
CARLISLE
Race 3 No3 MISTER MOËT
Trainer: Adrian Nicholls – Jockey: Harrison Shaw
The speedily bred MISTER MOËT probably ran into a smart foe when five lengths being Kolkata Knight at Hamilton and can play the experience card to good effect at a stiff track that should see him doing his best work at the business end.
Race 6 No10 THE KING’S FALCON (Nap)
Trainer: William Haggas – Jockey: Harry Burns
THE KING’S FALCON is closely matched with Push The Limit on last season’s form and after running well in defeat on his Epsom reappearance can take his revenge and run out a popular scorer in the colours of the King.
SANDOWN PARK
Race 2 No7 SAYIDAH HARD SPUN (Each Way)
Trainer: Richard Hughes – Jockey: William Buick
The National Stakes is the first of four trials for Royal Ascot and one that can outrun her price is SAYIDAH HARD SPUN. She attracted a welter of support before opening her account on a second start at Kempton and is a precocious type who after this evening might not look out of place in the Queen Mary.
Race 3 STAR SPORTS HENRY II STAKES (Group 3)
No2 BURDETT ROAD
Trainer: JamesOwen – Jockey: Hector Crouch
This isn’t the strongest renewal of a trial for the Gold Cup, with the doughty Trawlerman set to start a warm favourite. He finished just out of the money in the Dubai Gold Cup in March with Al Nayyir behind but while these two will dominate the market, BURDETT ROAD can prove a surprise package. The versatile performer finished sixth in the Long Distance Cup at Ascot last autumn and was last seen finishing second in the Champion Hurdle. With his relative inexperience of racing over two miles he could have more to offer.
Race 4 STAR SPORTS BRIGADIER GERARD STAKES (Group 3)
No1 OMBUDSMAN (Nap)
Trainer: John Gosden – Jockey: Ryan Moore
With four successes in as many starts OMBUDSMAN figures to shape up into one of the top older horses in Gosden’s powerful string this year. He went from strength to strength in 2024 to wind up landing a Group 3 at Longchamp, and is versatile regarding ground preference. He needs to improve again in order to repel top rated ALMAQAM and the Godolphin duo of MILITARY ORDER and ANCIENT WISDOM, but he can.
Race 6 No11 ARKHALIA FLYNN (Each Way)
Trainer: Jack Channon – Jockey: George Bass
This delayed reappearance of ARKHALIA FLYNN owing to the gelding’s habit of striking into himself gives punters an opportunity to obtain a double figure price about a horse that is one to follow this season. He really should have delivered more than three times last year, and returns off a workable mark, while Bass has ridden him regularly in work at home.
