Frontrunners and prominent racers enjoy a significant edge at Ripon and Nigel Tinkler’s Lord Roxby, a winner over course and distance this month, has a fine chance to follow up that success in the Great St Wilfrid Handicap at the Yorkshire track on Saturday.

A high-numbered stall is also an advantage in single-figure fields at Ripon as pacier horses can grab the stands’ rail, but Intervention’s front-running success from stall one 12 months ago – with the stands’-side pace horses second and third – showed that speed is more important when, as on Saturday, a big field is likely to split.

There is plenty of pace in the low numbers this year and useful apprentice Alex Jary should be able to settle Lord Roxby (3.25) close to the speed before striking for home a furlong out, as he did when seeing off Dark Cloud Rising, another leading fancy on Saturday, with something to spare last time out.

Newbury 1.25: Dubai Honour is now in his seventh season on the track but William Haggas’s gelding, a winner four times at the highest level, showed that he is still capable of high-class form when touched off in a Grade One in Australia in March, and has won off a break in the past.

Newbury 1.55: The lightly raced Major Neigh Sayer remains with potential and has been gelded and freshened up since his last outing in early June.

Newmarket 2.10: A decent field for the track’s annual “greys only” contest, and Shay Farmer’s 5lb claim could tip the balance towards Archduke Ferdinand at a track that suits his running style.

Newbury 2.35: This drop back to seven furlongs looks ideal for Scoville, who has shown up well for a long way in major handicaps over a mile on his last two starts.

Ripon 2.55: The eight-year-old Kats Bob is without a win this season but has posted useful efforts in defeat on his last two starts and is back at a speed-favouring track.

Newbury 3.10: Witness Stand finished a fine second in this race under a Group Two penalty last year and can run without the extra 3lb this time.

Newbury 3.42: A couple of the debutants have classy entries in the autumn so this is probably a race for watching rather than betting, but Ed Walker’s juveniles tend to find significant improvement for a run and Mister Whippy showed plenty to work on amid greenness at Doncaster first time up.