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
