TONY CALVIN: SATURDAY’s details – and the all-important double entries

SUNDAY’s (very brief) scene-setter

Ripon’s Great St Wilfrid is probably the big betting heat of another low-key weekend but the “Visit Malta Hungerford Stakes” is the sole early-closer on Saturday.

The Charlie Hungerford – one for the 80s Bergerac watchers, not the gash recent revamp, which actually sees a woman take over the great man’s role (the cigar-chomping Hungerford, not the wooden Island rozzer, John Vivian Drummond Nettles) – currently has 26 entries.

Actually, it is a disgrace that Malta are sponsoring this, and not Jersey.

But I suppose that would make it the Jersey Stakes – and we already have one of those.

There are now 11 in the Hungerford Stakes.

I may be back on Wednesday morning with an overview of the six ITV races that have been priced up but, looking at the weekend fare, I am not so sure.

RIPON

GOING: Good, good to firm in places

GOING STICK: 7.3, Thu 7.30am

Rails: Rail on all bends on innermost position, no added yards.

Stalls: Straight Course – Stands side Round Course – Inside rail 1 mile 4 furlongs – Centre

THURSDAY COURSE UPDATE: Dry for the past week. Thursday – Sunny intervals, moderate breeze, 35’c. Friday – Sunny intervals, moderate breeze, 28’c. Saturday – Sunny intervals, gentle breeze, 23’c

WATERING: 2-4mm applied Friday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights. No rain in the forecast, watering 2-4mm per night will continue

Weather forecast:  dry and sunny and very hot; Saturday cooler

NEWBURY

GOING: Good to firm

Anticipating ‘Good to Firm’ for racing. Soil moisture average = 42.7%

Going Stick 5.8 on Thu 6am

Rails: All rail on the inner most line. 7f & 5f bends (Line 1). 4m of fresh ground down the back straight.

Stalls: 1m2f – Inside. Remainder (straight) – Centre.

THURSDAY COURSE UPDATE: No rain since June. We lost 4.1mm in evaporation (ET) yesterday. Forecast: Hot today 34C, 30C tomorrow & 25C Saturday.

WATERING: 10mm cycle Friday 7th. 8mm cycle Saturday. 8mm cycle Sunday. 10mm cycle Monday. 10mm cycle Tuesday. 10mm cycle Wednesday. 10-12mm cycle today. We plan to irrigate after racing on Friday to replace moisture lost.

Weather forecast:  dry and sunny and very hot; cooler Saturday

NEWMARKET

GOING: Good to firm

GOING STICK: 7.0, Thu 6am

Rails: Stands Side Course in use.

Stalls: 5f, 6f, 7f and 1m – Centre, All other races – Inside

THURSDAY COURSE UPDATE: Dry with daytime temperatures of 33c on Thursday before reducing to 30c on Friday and 23c on Saturday.

WATERING: 12mm applied on Tuesday and Wednesday. Further 15mm being applied on Thursday.

Weather forecast: dry and sunny and very hot Friday (34 degrees);  much cooler Saturday

DOUBLE ENTRIES

1.25pm Newbury: NONE

BUT: Amiloc, Galiyan , Gamrai, Mount Atlas, Tabletalk and Waardah in at York next week and Wine Dark Sea is in at the Curragh next Saturday – so be careful with these

1.55pm Newbury: Hypnotised, Kylian, Major Neigh Sayer, Michaela’s Boy (finished fourth of 7 at Nottingham on Tuesday), Nad Alshiba Green, Rhythm N Hooves, Rocking Ends, Star Velocity, Zubaru

2.10pm Newmarket: First Folio, Nevasca Cinza, Secret Guest, Strike

2.35pm Newbury: Back In Black, Best Rate, Brian, Christian David, Colombier, Oliver Show, Royal Zabeel

NB: Blue Brother, Scoville and St Anton are in at York next week – so be careful with these too

2.55pm Ripon: Canaria Queen, First Folio, Fivethousandtoone, Go Vince Go, Goyard (finished fifth of 7 at Nottingham on Tuesday), Kolkata Knight, Maldevious (finished fifth of 8 at Carlisle on Tuesday), Modern Times, Mr Cool, Reigning Profit, Secret Guest, Sir Garfield, Spirit Of Applause, Tolstoy, Woodstock, Yes I’m Mali

3.10pm Newbury: Black In Black, Extremely Zain

NB: Never So Brave is in at York next week (a Group 1 he won last season), as is Morris Dancer

3.25pm Ripon:  Brighton Boy, I’m Next, Manila Scouse, Reigning Profit, Royal Zabeel, Veblen Good, Yes I’m Mali