Piper can strike right note for Carr

Ripon ace Pipers Note is impossible to ignore in the Armstrong Memorial Handicap.

Ruth Carr’s utterly likeable sprinter must carry top weight in the six-furlong sprint.

But such is his fondness for the North Yorkshire circuit, he simply has to enter the equation in his quest for an eighth course triumph.

Pipers Note returns to Ripon on top of his game, too, having won so well over course and distance in July.

It was textbook stuff from the eight-year-old son of Piccolo, who kept on gamely inside the final furlong to account for Reputation by three-quarters of a length. Pipers Note runs off a 5lb higher mark, but this race arguably lacks the depth of the sprint he won last month.

That claim is perhaps evidenced by the fact the fourth horse home that day, Flying Pursuit, won the Sky Bet Dash for a second consecutive year at York towards the end of July.

And even in spite of the handicapper becoming actively involved, Carr’s inmate won last year off a higher mark and is clearly not done with just yet this summer – especially at Ripon.

Encrypted can get back on track in the big race at Windsor’s evening meeting.

Hugo Palmer’s gelded son of Showcasing won a huge prize at York in June when he got home by a neck from Savalas in a six-furlong sprint handicap. Plenty was then expected of him in a similar sort of race at Newmarket last month, but he never looked happy from the outset and finished last of 20 runners. Ryan Moore did not give him a hard time, though, and it later transpired that he was lame.

Encrypted is clearly back in rude health now and has been cherry-picked an eminently winnable encounter in the Sky Bet Best Odds Guaranteed Handicap.

Carlisle’s all-lady-jockey card is a great initiative, but it looks a punting minefield with big fields throughout.

Be that as it may, it could be worth a small interest in Laughton, who will be ridden by Harriett Lees in the fivefurlong Smarkets Handicap.

Kevin Ryan’s five-year-old has not won for over two years, but connections must seriously fancy their chances after he was edged out by Duncan Of Scotland over six furlongs at Ayr last month.

The Acclamation gelding requires precise handling as he is far from the most straightforward of individuals, but Lees came as close as anyone to ending Laughton’s drought when a nose second at Wolverhampton in April.