We send two down to Market Rasen, where the going is currently described as good, good to soft in places, and two across to Ripon for their evening meeting, where the ground is currently described as soft.
At Market Rasen, Rory And Me has been declared for the 0-100 handicap hurdle over the extended two and a half miles at 4.0.pm, where Conor O'Farrell retains the ride. Rory And Me was withdrawn at Perth 12 days ago as the ground was considered too soft, so he wouldn't want any further rain. His current mark of 99 is attractive, but he hasn't fully fired in any of his last three starts.
Mac Suibhne was a winner over hurdles at Market Rasen last July, and also won on his chase debut at Wetherby in October in a match. He has since ran a further three times over the larger obstacles without success, but there are good reasons for excusing his last two starts. His current mark of 94 is okay, but he will have to run right up to that to take this. The race is a 0-105 handicap chase over two miles and five furlongs, at 4.35.pm, with Conor O'Farrell keeping the ride.
At Ripon, Bonne Vitesse steps back up to two miles at 7.05.pm, when she contests the 0-65 handicap, with Aiden Brookes taking the ride. Bonne Vitesse had gone off the boil in her last three runs over hurdles, and at Catterick last time, back on the flat over 12 furlongs, she finished in 11th place, but was only beaten by five and three quarter lengths. Soft ground would not be a problem, but there is a question mark over her seeing out the two miles.
Cedar Rapids makes his stable debut at 8.15.pm, in the 0-70 handicap over the extended nine furlongs, with Aiden Brookes taking the ride. As a three year old when trained in Britain in 2021, Cedar Rapids raced over this trip, and appeared to stay, but as a four year old in Ireland he was constantly campaigned over trips of only up to a mile. This will be his first start since November, and we will know more after this.
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Good luck to the connections, Richard Howard & Ben Howard, Phil Ellerby, The Golden Cuckoo, and Barran & Hogg.
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