Simon Holt Best bets for Newbury and Ripon on Sunday

Recommended bets:

1pt win Cold Stare in 2.25 Newbury at 16/1

1pt win Baasem in 3.00 Newbury at 10/1

1pt ew Highly Sprung in 3.15 Ripon at 28/1

HORSES who thrive with some cut in the ground need serious consideration at Newbury on Sunday and COLD STARE may find conditions to his liking for the second time this season in the Unibet 3 Uniboosts A Day Handicap.

David O'Meara's gelding is a renowned mud-lover and ran his best race since the re-start when going under by a head to Greenside off this mark at Haydock (soft) in July since when he has been beaten three times on a quicker surface albeit not disgraced back at Haydock last time.

Rated 7lb higher after winning in the soft at Haydock last season, Harry Bentley's mount looks well enough handicapped to run well at double-figure odds.

Later on, BAASEM is another who should relish the conditions, and the likely stiff test in the Unibet You're On Handicap over nearly a mile-and-three-quarters.

Jim Crowley's mount has run only adequately in two starts this season, staying on into third at Ascot (1m6f) and then filling the same position at Newmarket but, on the only occasion he has encountered truly deep ground, he bolted up at Doncaster last August winning by 14 lengths.

Baasem had also run well on going described as good to soft at Nottingham as a two-year-old and, still relatively lightly raced, there could be more to come from him here.

Ripon's William Hill Great St Wilfrid Handicap is always a difficult race to solve as the field invariably split into two groups, and I suggest a bit of each-way about HIGHLY SPRUNG who, from stall three, will likely race on the far side.

In another sprint handicap at the Yorkshire course this season, Afandem very nearly won from that side despite racing all alone, and the selection comes here in good form having won first time out at Newmarket.

Most recently, Josephine Gordon’s mount met trouble in running and found himself stranded wide of the group when staying on into sixth behind Treacherous at Goodwood having hitherto travelled well.

In-between, Highly Sprung showed little at York, but he has never run well on the Knavesmire and his victory on good to soft at Pontefract last September suggests he is ground versatile.

These big sprint handicaps often require staying power as well as speed, and Les Eyre's gelding gets the trip very well.

• Posted 1650 BST on 15/08/20

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