Off The Record to skip Wilfrid Stakes

Off The Record is likely to swerve the William Hill Great St Wilfrid Stakes at Ripon on Saturday because of the prospect of rain-softened ground.

Trainer James Given does not want to risk the Stewards’ Cup seventh on soft going and is looking to alternative races next week.

“I think we are an unlikely runner on that ground. The rain came against him at Goodwood and we wouldn’t want to run him again on soft ground,” said the Lincolnshire trainer.

“We have got a couple of options. The following Saturday there’s the totesport Beverley Bullet and on the same day there’s the Hopeful Stakes, a Listed race over six furlongs at Newmarket.

“We wouldn’t want to run on rain-softened ground.”

Off The Record had been 12-1 with the sponsors for Saturday’s six-furlong heritage handicap.

Ripon clerk of the course James Hutchinson reported the ground to be soft after rain on Tuesday morning.

“The forecast for the next couple of days is still unsettled, so I think it will probably stay on the slow side,” said Hutchinson.

“I hope we’ll get the chance to dry up a bit but I’m not hopeful we’ll get anything drier than good to soft.”