Andrew Asquith of Timeform provides an overview of the key things to note on Sunday.
Three points of interest
Highwaygrey looking to enhance excellent course record
Highwaygrey saves his best for Pontefract, with overall form figures of 8111124233312, and all five of those wins came over this course and distance.
He resumed winning ways returned to this venue two starts back, well supported and he was suited by the run of the race, held up chasing an honest pace and having a bit in hand at the line.
Highwaygrey was unable to follow up under a penalty 11 days ago, but he travelled through that contest like a well-handicapped horse, making smooth headway early in the straight but just unable to get past one who was backed at long odds and made a winning stable debut from a much-reduced mark.
The presence of Sea That Storm, Temple City and Cockalorum should ensure this race is run at a true gallop and, with a professional rider taking over, Highwaygrey seems sure to launch another bold bid from what remains a lenient mark based on the pick of his efforts.
Watch out for Lidster runner
Craig Lidster remains in the infancy of his training career, but he has an overall strike rate of 23% at Pontefract, while that percentage jumps to 42.86% this season, having saddled three winners from just seven runners.
Therefore, his sole runner on the card, Alreet Cha, is well worth a second look. She remains a maiden, but she is proving incredibly consistent, hitting the frame five times from just six starts so far this season.
Her latest effort when finishing fourth in a competitive handicap at York, her first run since undergoing a breathing operation, was arguably her best effort to date, too.
Alreet Cha made good late headway on that occasion in a race where it paid to race closer to the pace, and that was also her first start for seven weeks, so she’s entitled to be sharper now. This will also be her first time taking on older horses in handicaps.
Another Mullins winner in the bumper?
Willie and Patrick Mullins have teamed up together to win this bumper four times in the last nine renewals and in El Fabienne they have solid claims of adding to that record.
She’s a well-bred mare who had finished runner-up in a point and started the 2/1-on favourite for her Rules debut in a bumper at Fairyhouse in December, but she ran well below expectations, finding less than looked likely after trading as low as 1.1 in-running on Betfair.
El Fabienne was again beaten at a short price on her return from seven months off at Killarney 31 days ago, again having every chance in the straight but not having much left to give in the closing stages.
She was entitled to have needed that run, though, while it is also interesting that connections now reach for a first-time tongue tie. It remains early days with her and given the yard have an excellent record in this race she will be of interest again.
Tip of the Day
Letsbefrank – 17:15 Pontefract
Flags: Horse In Focus, Top Rated
Letsbefrank won back-to-back handicaps at Hamilton and Thirsk in June, looking very progressive over a mile and three quarters on the latter occasion, and he has run a cracking couple of races over two miles on his last two starts at York and Haydock. He went agonisingly close to collecting a £100,000 bonus for three wins in a season in the Sunday Series last time, leading briefly and sticking to his task, but just denied by a well-treated and likeable mare. Letsbefrank has another opportunity to land the valuable bonus now and, in a race which doesn’t look as deep, he seems sure to launch another bold bid.
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