On official figures, Sunsprite has up to 11lb to find with the principals in the Ripon Champion Two Yrs. Old Trophy (4.00) on Monday, but is a progressive colt who may yet achieve a much higher rating. Richard Hughes’ juvenile completed a hat-trick when just holding on to beat Finoah by a short head in a small conditions stakes race at Chester last time and, while the runner-up did little for the form at Windsor on Saturday, the third and fourth have both run well on subsequent outings. The third, Rockin Roy, won a small nursery at Beverley on Sunday and the fourth, Gabrial The Wire, wasn’t beaten far in a highly competitive nursery last Wednesday, so there are reasons to believe that the Kodiac colt can make the 215-mile trip up the M1 from Upper Lambourn worthwhile. Indeed, he is just the second runner ever for the yard at the North Yorkshire course and, perhaps, the hint is worth taking.

Sunsprite may lack the Listed and Pattern race experience of some of his rivals, but is consequently unexposed and may have been underestimated by the official handicapper and the layers alike. As ever, only time will tell but, at 8/1, Sunsprite looks a decent bet to upset some apparently more illustrious rivals. Admittedly, he has only won his last two starts by a short head, but has found extra in the closing stages on both occasions and his determined attitude should stand him in good stead on his first foray into Listed company.

Selection: Ripon 4.00 Sunsprite to win 8/1

What a great idea the Ebony Horse Club is. It introduces deprived inner city kids to horse racing, in a bid to carve out a more positive future, where there are fewer negative influences around (gangs, lack of opportunity and the like). Horse racing isn’t really a sport ever associated with the inner city and can be seen as elitist in some respects, and so this is a positive step in my view.

The Play Live Casino at 188Bet Handicap (3.30) at Yarmouth on Wednesday is about as run-of-the-mill as they come, but may present recent easy course winner Right About Now with an opportunity to follow up. Chris Dwyer’s four-year-old carries a 6lb penalty for winning a similarly nondescript contest, over 1 mile 2 furlongs, at the seaside course last week, but did so convincingly, drawing clear in the closing stages to win by 4 lengths. The son of Famous Name has improved with each run since returning to turf in April and, although he races beyond 1 mile 2 furlongs for the first time, shapes as though an extra furlong-and-a-half is well within his compass and may, indeed, bring about some further improvement.

He failed to win in six starts for Ismail Mohammed last season, when rated as highly as 75, but wind surgery and a change of stables have evidently done him some good and he appears to have found his level, if last week is anything to go by. Apprentice Jessica Cooley is 0-6 for the yard, but is capable enough granted the right ammunition and her 7lb claim could prove very useful indeed. Hopefully, Right About Now can show a moderate bunch a clean pair of heels for the second time in a week.

Selection: Yarmouth 3.30 Right About Now to win 13/8

The All Steels Trading Stirring Spoon Smiles Handicap (2.20) at Ripon on Sunday is a lowly, 0-60 affair, in which recent winning form is a rare commodity. In fact, Revenge, trained by Tim Easterby, is the only runner with a win in his form figures and although he’s yet to trouble the judge in four starts on turf, all of his efforts in that sphere have come in much better races than this one.

In two starts over 6 furlongs, in this sort of grade, on the Tapeta at Wolverhampton, he’s finished a never-nearer fifth of 13, beaten 3 lengths, and first of eight, by 2 lengths, off handicap marks of 56 and 52. He again ran creditably when a staying on fifth of 10, beaten 2½ lengths, in a similar grade handicap over a seemingly inadequate 5 furlongs back at Dunstall Park 11 days ago, off a handicap mark of 58.

He’s 1lb higher in the weights here, by the return to 6 furlongs is definitely in his favour. Of course, it may turn out that he’s simply better on Tapeta than elsewhere but, in an uninspiring contest, it’s worth chancing that he can transfer his all-weather form back to turf. His early efforts on turf as a juvenile were all over five furlongs and although he finished out with the washing on his sole appearance over 6 furlongs, on his final start at Nottingham in October, he was racing from 2lb out of the handicap in a Class 3 nursery on rain-softened ground. He has the best of the draw so, back on decent ground, he should have no excuses.

Selection: Ripon 2.20 Revenge to win 5/1