Today of Sky Sports Racing: Two-year-old Trophy up for grabs at Ripon

The Bank Holiday Monday card at Ripon, Chepstow and Southwell delivers three live races that matter, none more so than the Champion Two Years Old Trophy at the Yorkshire track. The race is a shop window for the next generation of sprint talent, and this year’s renewal looks unusually competitive after a summer that has already produced credible form lines at York and Goodwood. With prize money and prestige on the line, the field is led by two horses who have already shown they can handle the step up.

A clash of youth and experience at Ripon

The Champion Two Years Old Trophy has become a springboard for the Crisford yard, and Simon & Ed Crisford saddle Pure Mint after his emphatic course-and-distance victory last month. The son of Minzaal bolted up at Ripon, and the yard’s record here is hard to ignore: three wins in the last six renewals. They will be the yardstick against which the rest are measured.

Rogue Jewel arrives unbeaten in two starts and brings fresh course-and-distance form after winning at Ripon just recently. His second success for The Rogues Gallery team suggests he is quickening into a serious contender, while Clash Of Hearts brings a credible fifth in the Group Three Acomb Stakes at York last month. That form line is underpinned by his first win at Pontefract, where he dominated in emphatic fashion. The trio offer contrasting routes to the line: Rogue Jewel’s local knowledge, Clash Of Hearts’ gritty recent form, and Pure Mint’s yard advantage.

Ripon’s handicaps: bounce-back bids and weight questions

In the Ripon Rowels Handicap, Top-rated English Oak steps out of the shadows after a heavy defeat at Goodwood. The Royal Ascot winner, rated 102, has been set 9lb above his nearest rivals, a mark that hints at his class. If he can shrug off that 16th-of-18 finish at Goodwood, he remains the one to beat.

The weights tell a different story for Thunder Roar, who drops back to his winning mark of 93 after briefly climbing to 100. His return to form at Ayr last September shows what he can do when the weights align. Mr Professor, a Lincoln winner from 2024, makes his third start for Kevin Philippart de Foy and arrives off a second at Kempton, offering late-run menace.

Chepstow’s mile series finale: a 4lb rise and £20,000 on the line

The Chepstow Mile Series Final Handicap offers a £20,000 payday, and top weight Revelance faces a 4lb rise after her cosy win in the August qualifier under Eddy Greatrex. The rise looks steep, but the form suggests she can handle the extra burden. Nakaaha, runner-up that day, must concede 7lb, a swing that could reshape the finishing order.

The card closes with action at Southwell, where the late-afternoon card offers further opportunities for punters to land each-way bets on a busy Bank Holiday. Every race across the three tracks will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Racing, giving viewers the chance to dissect the form at first hand.

For trainers and owners, Ripon’s Champion Two Years Old Trophy is a chance to stake a claim for Group company next season. The Crisfords know the race intimately; Rogue Jewel and Clash Of Hearts know they must raise their game. At Chepstow, Revelance’s 4lb rise tests her credentials, while English Oak’s bounce-back bid at Ripon offers a reminder that class still tells. These are the stories that will define the Bank Holiday sprints.