August 11 / 15.10 Ripon

15.10

Good

Paula Budge Surprise Birthday Nursery Handicap

  • Prize money: £5234
  • 0m 6f 0y
  • Class 5
  • 6 runners
SKY
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Paula Budge Surprise Birthday Nursery Handicap

Runners: 6 runners

Type: Flat Turf

Surface: Turf

Weather: Cloudy

3/1 (Won)

  • Win: £2.63
  • Place: £1.30

Form: 71

Last run: 61 days

W: 9st 11lb

2 yo Colt

OR: 77

Form & Verdict
Shaped with promise in good York novice (6f, good to soft) on debut and displayed a pretty good turn of foot to reward strong market support at Wetherby (5.5f, good) on second start; this nursery debut comes after a two-month break but he should have more to offer.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

5th

6

(9)

1st Jun 2026

Standard

0m 6f 20y

Class 5

21:00 Wolverhampton (AW)

Lesleys Boy

9st 6lb

J: David Nolan

T: Richard & Peter Fahey

Decent 2yo who struggled last year, coming more than a stone down the weights; found his level again latterly on Tapeta but he ran poorly on his turf comeback in April and others make more obvious appeal.

14/1

16th

16

(1)

16th Apr 2026

Good

0m 6f 0y

Class 4

15:45 Ripon

Lesleys Boy

8st 7lb

J: Cam Hardie

T: Richard & Peter Fahey

Won two of his first three starts, including a C&D nursery off 8lb higher, but the handicapper was in command for much of 2025; creditable third to Fortamour at Newcastle when last seen 145 days ago but he has more on his plate in this deeper race.

16/1

12

(3)

23rd Oct 2025

Standard

0m 6f 16y

Class 4

19:30 Southwell (AW)

Lesleys Boy

9st 2lb

J: Oisin Orr

T: Richard Fahey

Couple of turf wins last term; inconsistent this season but posted one of his better efforts in C&D contest most recently and is still unexposed on AW; attractively treated off current mark.

12/1

OUR TIP

11/4

  • Place: £1.40

Form: 21 D

Last run: 18 days

W: 9st 7lb

2 yo Filly

OR: 73

Form & Verdict
Sister to Group 3 2yo winner Good Vibes; kept on well for second over C&D on last month's debut and duly delivered on that promise in Catterick maiden (6f, good to firm) a fortnight later; drawn on the wing today, which is not ideal, but still commands respect.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price
No Results Found

Form: 7342

Last run: 23 days

W: 9st 2lb

2 yo Colt

OR: 68

Form & Verdict
Ran well from the front when second on nursery debut at Hamilton (6f, good) three weeks ago; nudged up 1lb for that run and today's race looks more competitive, but he still enters calculations.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price
No Results Found

Form: 546

Last run: 83 days

W: 8st 11lb

2 yo Colt

OR: 63

Form & Verdict
Not beaten far when fourth of six in 5f Ayr maiden in April, his second start, but his 6f run at Redcar the following month was a backward step; gelded during subsequent 12-week break and now makes his nursery debut in a competitive race.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

8th

10

(1)

30th May 2026

Good To Firm

0m 7f 173y

Class 4

17:28 Carlisle

Marry The Night

9st 1lb

J: Sean Kirrane

T: Tim Easterby

Three 1m wins on Southwell AW this year; has also won on turf but he's 15lb higher than when last seen on grass in the autumn so needs to show his form on this surface can keep pace with the AW improvement.

5/1

2nd

2

(4)

25th Apr 2026

Standard

1m 0f 13y

Class 5

20:30 Southwell (AW)

Marry The Night

9st 9lb

J: Sean Kirrane

T: Tim Easterby

Record over C&D currently reads 22115112; didn't look to have any excuses in a race run to suit here three weeks ago and it's possible he's reached his ceiling mark now, but he's ultra consistent and looks set to get involved once again.

7/2

2nd

1

(3)

5th Apr 2026

Standard

1m 0f 13y

Class 5

16:15 Southwell (AW)

Marry The Night

9st 9lb

J: Sean Kirrane

T: Tim Easterby

Ran perfectly well when third of 11 behind a subsequent winner at Wolverhampton (8.6f, Tapeta) 16 days ago, but should relish the return here with his record over C&D reading 2211511; high on list.

7/2

14/1

Form: 9244

Last run: 20 days

W: 9st 3lb

2 yo Colt

OR: 69

Form & Verdict
Made the frame on consecutive 6f starts on ground slower than good in June/July, but was not as good when dropped back to 5f for fast-ground Beverley maiden on latest outing; back up in trip with blinkers added for nursery debut; others are more persuasive.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

9th

12

(2)

17th May 2026

Good

0m 6f 6y

Class 4

18:15 Hamilton

Stirrup Cup

8st 13lb

J: David Allan

T: Tim Easterby

Soft-ground C&D winner last autumn who's twice been unlucky in big-field Thirsk handicaps switched to cheekpieces this spring; better off with Juan Les Pins than on his comeback and enters calculations.

7/1

3rd

6

(8)

18th Apr 2026

Good

0m 6f 0y

Class 5

14:47 Thirsk

Stirrup Cup

9st 4lb

J: David Allan

T: Tim Easterby

Both his wins have come on soft ground but he ran a cracker on good ground over C&D last week (cheekpieces first time), keeping on well behind an in-form sprinter; 1lb higher today but still a strong contender, especially with some rain in the forecast.

11/2

2nd

10

(3)

10th Apr 2026

Good

0m 6f 0y

Class 5

18:10 Thirsk

Stirrup Cup

9st 8lb

J: Tom Kiely-Marshall

T: Tim Easterby

Both wins have come over 6f on soft ground and remains 7lb higher than for the latest; opposable under the likely conditions and the run may be needed; cheekpieces replace blinkers.

16/1

Form: 163

Last run: 50 days

W: 9st 9lb

2 yo Colt

OR: 75

Form & Verdict
Won small-field Doncaster maiden (5f, good to soft) on debut in May and quickly put a lesser effort behind him when third in Redcar novice (6f, good to firm) in June; open to improvement in nurseries if aided by first-time cheekpieces.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

6th

2

(3)

11th Aug 2024

Good

0m 6f 0y

Class 5

15:10 Ripon

Sonic Blue

9st 9lb

J: Pierre-Louis Jamin

T: Tom Dascombe

Won small-field Doncaster maiden (5f, good to soft) on debut in May and quickly put a lesser effort behind him when third in Redcar novice (6f, good to firm) in June; open to improvement in nurseries if aided by first-time cheekpieces.

6/1

3rd

1

(7)

22nd Jun 2024

Good To Firm

0m 5f 217y

Class 5

13:45 Redcar

Sonic Blue

9st 11lb

J: Jason Watson

T: Tom Dascombe

midfield, headway over 1f out, went third inside final furlong

7/2

6th

1

(11)

5th Jun 2024

Good To Soft

0m 5f 0y

Class 5

18:20 Ripon

Sonic Blue

9st 11lb

J: Pierre-Louis Jamin

T: Tom Dascombe

Not bred for sprinting on the dam's side of pedigree but he has inherited plenty of speed from sire Blue Point and justified a short price when winning in ready style on his Doncaster debut (5f, good to soft) in May; good chance of defying a penalty from a favourable draw.

11/4

Non-runners

Art Design

+o+e Accumulators

Payout
Exacta £4.20
Straight Forecast £4.23
Trifecta £16.20

Selections

SPOTLIGHT:

Easy Peeler

POSTDATA:

Art Design

RP RATINGS:

Lesley's Boy

Daily Mirror:

Art Design

Telegraph:

Easy Peeler

D Express:

Easy Peeler

The Sun:

Easy Peeler

The Star:

Easy Peeler

Daily Record:

Easy Peeler

The Times:

Lesley's Boy