Snap Shots is picture perfect

● Dascombe’s four-year-old looks ideal for Ripon race

Best bet on a challenging Ripon card today could be Snap Shots in the Armstrong Memorial Handicap.

Tom Dascombe’s four-yearold remains 5lb higher than when he won so well at Haydock in May, but he still looks capable of returning to the top of the tree.

Those in attendance at Newmarket on 7 July would not disagree as Snap Shots was a shade unfortunate to only finish fourth in a five-furlong handicap.

The gelded son of Kodiac likes to get on with things, but jockey Anna Hesketh was unable to adopt prominent tactics after her mount was hampered by another horse once the gates ripped open.

Snap Shots was always chasing the game, but the manner in which he finished off his race was most pleasing. Dascombe’schargewas,intheend, only beaten two lengths by the useful winner Soie D’leau so it hardly comes as a big shock to see him back over six furlongs in North Yorkshire.

Versatile in terms of whatever Mother Nature throws at him and with Richard Kingscote back on board, quite a compelling case can be made for a horse who just two years ago finished fourth in the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Captain Scooby might surprise a few in the Compare Horse Racing At bookies.com Ladies Riders’ Handicap at Carlisle.

The ten-year-old has won twice at big odds this term and could feasibly repeat the dose in the trusty hands of Serena Brotherton.

Trainer Richard Guest still has the course-and-distance scorer on the right side of the handicapper as he makes his 164th career start. And despite his rather uninspiring finish- ing position in a six-furlong handicap at Pontefract last time, that run was not devoid of complete promise as his path was blocked inside the final furlong.

A horse that always thrives under protracted riding, Captain Scooby needs a stronglyrun encounter to be seen at his best. Should that be the case in Cumbria, he rates a cracking curveball contender in a trappy encounter.

Philadelphia has to go close in the MPM Flooring Ltd Handicap at Windsor.

The Roger Varian-trained three-year-old was most unlucky over this course and distance on 4 July when he lost stacks of ground at the start of a rough-and-tumble affair.

Philadelphia flew at the finish to finish third, beaten just a length and a quarter, and races here off the same mark of 80. Compensation awaits.