Pontefract Racecourse Preview: Tips and Predictions for Thursday's Meeting
The meeting kicks off at 2.03pm with a six furlong apprentice handicap before rounding off at 5.15pm with a 12-runner handicap in class four. Read below to discover the latest tips and a full meeting preview for Pontefract’s card on Thursday courtesy of Grosvenor Sport.
The Opener: A Look at the Apprentice Handicap (2.03)
The opening contest of the day sees a field of nine head to the start for the class five apprentice handicap (2.03) held over the six furlong distance. Fiscal Policy scored handily on just his second start since switching to the Ruth Carr yard when landing a six furlong event at Catterick last month and followed up with a third on much softer ground at Hamilton. Back on a good mark here and on a much sounder surface to boot, the five-year-old is the one to beat in the opener.
Race Two: Novice Stakes (2.33)
Another field of nine will take on the class five novice stakes in race two of Pontefract’s card on Thursday over six furlongs (2.33). Reddeef is on an upwards trajectory for trainer Charlie Fellowes and has a great draw against the rail here so she should take advantage of that and get off the winning mark having finished sixth and third on his first two starts. Of his rivals, Seven Symphonies was a strong second in a Ffos Las maiden on debut three weeks ago and holds solid claims to progress further heading to Pontefract.
Race Three: Maiden Stakes (3.03)
Wootton’s Jewel arrives at Pontefract in good form and is the selection in race three on the card (3.03), stepping up in trip here having won at Windsor in June and a third of eight at Newbury three weeks ago on his last spin. It is a tricky race to unpick with a small seven-runner field and Kings Reign, hailing from the powerful Godolphin yard and trainer Charlie Appleby, warrants respect having returned from a five-month layoff to finish third in a Southwell novice 16 days ago.
Race Four: Handicap (3.33)
The Craig Lidster-trained Masque Of Anarchy holds strong claims in the one mile and two furlong handicap, race four of the afternoon at 3.33, having been given plenty of slack by the handicapper for being a previous course and distance winner and off a couple of solid place efforts on his last two outings. Likleman rates the main danger here, who belatedly got off the winning mark with a win at Hamilton 15 days ago but has to shoulder a 4lb penalty in the weights for that success.
Race Five: Class Five Handicap (4.05)
Race five on the Pontefract card (4.05) can go the way of Judgementofsolomon for trainer Sir Mark Prescott, a winner at Wolverhampton in April who progressed to land a second in a class five handicap at Chester just six days ago.
Race Six: Maiden Stakes (4.40)
Race six (4.40) sees the Roger Varian-trained Times Edition get the nod in the seven-runner maiden stakes after a close second in a Ffos Las maiden last time out – the clear pick of the form in this contest.
Race Seven: Handicap (5.15)
Finally, the card comes to a close on Thursday with a 12-runner class four handicap over the one mile and six furlong distance (5.15), with preference in the finale heading the way of Light Speed for trainer Gemma Tutty, a winner at Chester earlier this season before finding trouble in running when finishing fourth of 11 in a Beverley handicap last time out, so has to be taken seriously here.
Pontefract Selections
Here are the top picks for each race on Thursday's card:
- 2.03 - Fiscal Policy
- 2.33 - Reddeef
- 3.03 - Wooton’s Jewel
- 3.33 - Masque Of Anarchy
- 4.05 - Judgementofsolomon
- 4.40 - Times Edition
- 5.15 - Light Speed
Expert Insight: Overture's Potential
On paper, this race looks competitive as you have a couple of three-year-old horses who are still unexposed at the trip and bring some solid form to the table. Also, we have the older horses who are on good handicap marks on older pieces of form. However, I think it's not as strong as it might look to some. In my opinion, this race is all about whether Overture handles the potential cut in the ground that the weather forecast suggests should be the going come the time of racing. It shouldn't be bottomless, with the level of rain expected to drop pointing it more towards good to soft. If she handles slightly slower conditions to what she has faced, she should be tough to beat.
Mr Monaco is my idea of the main threat to my selection as he has run well in better handicaps than this, but I just feel like Overture is more progressive and has more to come off her handicap mark when you compare to the amount Mr Monaco has.
Luke Morris oozed confidence at Yarmouth just over a week ago on Overture. He was spending more times looking in the wing mirrors of Overture than actually looking ahead of him as he knew he had a huge advantage over the opponents last time out. He probably took the mick for too long as the runner-up was in top gear whilst Overture was in cruise control and when the runner-up bridged the gap, Luke nudged her out enough to get the win, but it could have been won with many lengths if they wanted it to.
The ground is a question mark, but I think she is worth the shot of her handling it as she is evidently the most progressive horse in the race, which isn't a surprise given it's a Sir Mark Prescott horse who is known for having a horse with this profile.
Up The Pace: A Horse to Watch
David Probert doesn't ride all too often at Pontefract but has four rides on Thursday, a couple looking like spares with the ride of Up The Pace and the one in the finale appearing to be the reason why he has made the trip up to Yorkshire. I'm hoping Up The Pace can continue his progression after winning on his handicap debut in a Class 5 nursery at Salisbury thirteen days ago. He had shown a decent level of form from his maiden races, but everything clicked when running over 7f on good to soft ground last time out. He made up a decent amount of ground to lead, and did hang to the right-hand side when under pressure, but he did stay on nicely and won with a fair bit in hand, enough to suggest the 5lb increase in the weights isn't going to be a problem.
Today, he drops back down to 6f which shouldn't be an issue as Pontefract is one of the stiffest courses in the country where it's a constant uphill climb to the line from the starting stalls, which means the stamina he has shown for the extra furlong will be an added bonus in the finish. David Probert rode him for the first time last time out, and given this is the first-ever runner at the track for new trainer Edward Smyth-Osbourne, I think this was the horse that David Probert was making the trip up to Pontefract for as it seems too much of a coincidence that they have ventured outside of their usual racecourses to go for this race and Probert is here for the ride.
A Look at the Other Contenders
Olympus Point is another horse to watch, though his performance in the race is dependent on whether he can handle the potential cut in the ground. While he has shown promise in previous races, his ability to adapt to different conditions will be key to his success. Top weight Celeborn is another horse with potential, but his performance in his last race suggests he might have a tough time carrying the top weight.
Remember to Gamble Responsibly
While these tips and predictions can help guide your betting decisions, it is essential to remember to gamble responsibly. Never bet more than you can afford to lose, and always be aware of the risks involved. If you are struggling with gambling, there are resources available to help you.
