16:00 Pontefract

Monday 7 October 2019

All14:0014:3015:0015:3016:0016:3017:0017:35

Peter Hastings Woodhead (Potter) Handicap (Div 1)

3YO plus | Class 5 | 1m 6y | 10 Runners | Turf

(6)

Age: 6| Weight: 9-9| J: Ben Robinson| T: B Ellison| OR: 77| D

Didn't need to improve to land a selling contest at Redcar last time. Feasibly handicapped on his very best form but seemingly not the force of all.

Form: 3-20331

(7)

Edgar Allan Poe¹²

Age: 5| Weight: 9-7| J: Phil Dennis| T: Rebecca Bastiman| OR: 75| CD

Won back-to-back races here in July at 1m2f and well suited to cut in the ground. Just 2lb higher than his last winning mark having disappointed at Redcar last time; interesting back at this venue.

Form: 211659

(9)

Salt Whistle Bay⁶²

Age: 5| Weight: 9-7| J: R Kingscote| T: Rae Guest| OR: 75| D

Hasn't won since a soft ground success at Yarmouth in May 2018. Well handicapped on that form but failed to beat a rival home when tailed off at Newbury last time; has a bit to prove on that evidence.

Form: 442240

(4)

Jupiter Road^t³⁰

Age: 3| Weight: 9-3| J: Faye McManoman⁽⁵⁾| T: N Tinkler| OR: 74| D

Won a Bellewstown handicap on his final start for Joseph O'Brien but hasn't beaten a single rival home in four runs for his new yard. Unproven on this ground and hard to fancy.

Form: 618554

(1)

Vive La Difference^p1⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 9-0| J: D Allan| T: T D Easterby| OR: 68| BF| D

On a long losing run but well-handicapped as a result and shaped like a return to form was imminent when well backed at Musselburgh last time. Only fourth that day but ran well enough and first-time cheekpieces may do the trick.

Form: 368074

(2)

Silver Dust¹⁸

Age: 3| Weight: 9-0| J: Connor Murtagh⁽³⁾| T: R A Fahey| OR: 71

Still a maiden after five starts and has shown no improvement for the switch to handicaps. Dropped 2lb for the latest effort but others make more appeal.

Form: 636-79

(11)

Agar's Plough^b¹⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 8-13| J: G C O'Neill⁽⁵⁾| T: M & D Easterby| OR: 67

Still a maiden after 17 starts but went close at Beverley earlier in the campaign. While he hasn't built on that in two starts since, his sole run on soft ground was promising; hard to enthuse about given his strike-rate.

Form: 09-5296

(5)

Thorn^h²⁵

Age: 3| Weight: 8-11| J: G Lee| T: P W Hiatt| OR: 68

Won a novice event at Ffos Las in 2018 for Roger Charlton. Signs of a return to form when runner up at Epsom last month but unproven in these conditions.

Form: 41-8642

(8)

Make Me^p¹⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 8-7| J: Cam Hardie| T: T D Easterby| OR: 61| BF

Sole win in 17 starts came in a Redcar maiden on soft ground. Well suited to these conditions and ran with promise at Ayr last time out; starting to look very well handicapped.

Form: 990365

(10)

Jo's Girl¹²

Age: 4| Weight: 8-7| J: Nathan Evans| T: Micky Hammond| OR: 54| CD

Sole win in 19 starts came over C&D but makes no appeal from a long way out of the handicap here.

Form: 680079

Non-Runners

(3)

Stringybark Creek¹³

Weight: 9-6| Age: 5

T: D Loughnane J: Thomas Greatrex

Forecasts

Salt Whistle Bay (3/1), Vive La Difference (7/2), Be Kool (4/1), Stringybark Creek (8/1), Edgar Allan Poe (12/1), Jupiter Road (12/1), Thorn (12/1), Agar's Plough (12/1), Make Me (14/1), Silver Dust (25/1), Jo's Girl (33/1)

Tim Easterby has a strong hand in this contest with Make Me and VIVE LA DIFFERENCE with narrow preference for the latter in first-time cheekpieces. Both contenders look well-handicapped but jockey bookings suggest the selection is the first-string. Edgar Allan Poe goes well here and has each-way claims.