Ripon top racing tip: Hardy Angel can build on career-best performance

17:25 Ripon: Graeme Dand theformanalyst Celebration Handicap

 With the market leaders looking vulnerable at the prices, much better-value bet appears to be Tim Easterby's Hardy Angel, who drops in class after running a new career-best performance to finish third of eight in a six-furlong handicap on good ground on the undulating track at Pontefract early this month.

From the widest draw of all, he did very well to finish where he did after contesting the early pace on the outside, hitting the front at the furlong pole before his early exertions took their toll up the finishing hill.

He was eventually beaten by a pair who came from off the pace but he would still have finished closer has his saddle not slipped in the closing stages, causing his rider to ease him down.

The early speed he displayed at Pontefract can perhaps be used to better effect on this sharper track and he will certainly enjoy facing this lesser opposition.

Significantly, as far as today's event goes, Hardy Angel's best performance prior to his latest run at Pontefract came last August when he finished runner-up in a novices' stakes over today's trip when the ground was good.

Based on both those two performances, Hardy Angel has provided more than enough evidence to suggest that he is plenty good enough to be winning Class 6 handicaps off his current mark under these conditions.

Suggested bet: Hardy Angel to win the 17:25 at Ripon

Of the others, Jack Of Clubs should go well on the back of his latest run in Class 5 at Thirsk,where he missed the places by less than a length off a pound higher than today.

The testing ground that day may not have been to his liking because he had started his career with a close-up third of six over today's course and distance on good ground, with the front pair now rated higher than today's level.

Next best bet: Jack Of Clubs to win the 17:25 at Ripon

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