Pontefract Sunday tips: Three to follow at latest Sky Bet Sunday Series fixture

CAIUS CHORISTER (4.45)

They’ll be cancanning through the boulevards of nearby Cast-le-ford on the Yorkshire Riviera, slurping champagne and devouring plates of Moules Mariniere in celebration, if one of the most popular fillies in training makes the breakthrough at Listed level.

Because nothing will turn Pontefract into its continental cousin of Ponte Carlo, for a few hours at least, more than if the Gallicticos of David Menuisier and Benoit De La Sayette team up to snaffle the feature race.

Most punters will know that much of Caius Chorister’s best work has come at Epsom. The four-year-old completed the third and fourth legs of a fabulous five-timer, her mark rising from 57 to 92 in only two months last summer, over the Oaks course and distance.

She’s taken her form up another notch this season by finishing second in two handicaps on the Downs, firstly in the City And Suburban on her return, then last time when chasing home a rapid improver on Derby day.

But it would be wrong to pigeon hole Menuisier’s charge simply as a one-track pony, as she’s proved her versatility away from Epsom with wins at Yarmouth, Salisbury and Goodwood, and running an excellent second to Soulcombe in the Sky Bet Melrose at York’s Ebor festival.

With no lightly-raced three-year-old fillies to muddy the waters, and only the penalised Luisa Casati boasting a three-figure BHA rating, Menuisier looks to have landed on a prime opportunity to grab some valuable black type for a filly in the familiar silks of owner-breeder Clive Washbourn, who has enjoyed plenty of previous success in the White Rose County courtesy of the remarkable Thundering Blue.

The Inside Word:

“We've had this race in mind since the City And Suburban. She deserves to get some black type and this seems the right race for her. She handles Epsom well, so hopefully she will be fine around Pontefract. The jockey knows her very well, she's drawn in 1, which is ideal for going forward, and the ground has come right. So all the lights are green.” David Menuisier, trainer.

BLOW YOUR HORN (5.15)

There’s a very good reason why this six-year-old has come roaring back to form on turf this season - Ian Williams.

The Worcestershire-based handler has long been a shrewd placer of his horses. And he’s always been particularly adept with those whose strong suit is stamina.

So it’s little wonder, then, that Blow Your Horn suddenly finds his career back on an upward trajectory following a spell in the doldrums. Rated as high as 88 at his peak for Charlie Fellowes less than two years ago, it took a drop of 18lbs and the switch to Williams - via a brief stint with Rebecca Menzies - for Blow Your Horn to reacquaint himself with the winner’s enclosure.

A couple of solid all-weather efforts at Lingfield and Chelmsford in April, the second in reapplied cheekpieces, offered hope that Williams had begun to turn the tide.

It wasn't false hope, either, as Blow Your Horn has since reeled off back-to-back wins - his first on turf - at Doncaster and then at Beverley a fortnight ago at the last Sunday Series gig, where I thought he held off the challenge of Coltor with a bit more up his sleeve than the official three-quarters of a length winning margin suggests.

A 4lb rise to a mark of 76 still leaves Williams with room to manoeuvre and, although stepping out to this 2m2f trip for the first time, his patient style of racing may well prove ideally suited to it, especially with forward-going pair Champagne City and Haizoom likely to give his rider Richard Kingscote a lovely target to aim at on the swing for home.

The Inside Word:

“Anything beyond two miles is a specialist’s trip but we think he’ll stay. He’s always been crying out for a trip and he’s now showing us why we thought that. He won nicely at Beverley last time and we think he’s still fairly handicapped.” Ian Williams, trainer.

GHATHANFAR (6.45)

The defection of a rejuvenated Aberama Gold at the 48-hour stage is undoubtedly a boost to Ghathanfar’s chances of repeating last season’s success in this race.

On the face of it, you’d think Ghathanfar will have to pull out a bit more from a 4lb higher mark and a less favourable draw this time around.

But it was his subsequent exploits which makes me think Tracy Waggott’s teak-tough seven-year-old is well-treated to regain the winning thread if back to something like his best.

After denying Dream Composer a hat-trick in this 12 months ago, Ghathanfar followed up at York off a 1lb higher mark than he's operating from here.

From there, he stepped up again with placed efforts behind the likes of Summerghand, Comanche Falls and Gale Force Maya at York, and Khanjar at Haydock, from marks in the low-90s. That’s rock-solid handicap form.

You can draw a line through his first two defeats this season, which came on unsuitably soft ground. But he’s shaped with more encouragement the last twice, admittedly at his favourite track of York, initially with a visor back on and then last time reverting to cheekpieces, which remain in place today.

On both occasions he’s struck me as a horse who’s bubbling under and ready to burst back into life when conditions are in his favour. With a further 2lb drop easing him back to a mark of 82, this looks the time to take a punt at double-figure odds and extra place terms.

The Inside Word:

“Ghathanfar is really well in himself. We were really pleased with his last run at York, where he was drawn on the wing and got outpaced in the middle of the race, but ran on nicely. He's drawn in stall 10, which is a bit wider than ideal for a horse that likes to be up with the pace. Hopefully he can get out of the gates well and David Nolan can slot into a good position. A lot of his best form is at York, but I actually think a stiffer six like this suits him better.” Tracy Waggott, trainer.

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