The latest edition of the Sunday Series takes place at picturesque Pontefract on Sunday. Matty Sutcliffe has provided his valuable opinion and given three best bets on the card.
4:15 Pontefract – Sky Bet For The Fans Handicap (Class 5) (3yo+ 0-75) – Mysteryofthesands 14/1 Hills 1pt EW 3 places
The keen going MYSTERYOFTHESANDS has been crying out for a strongly run contest in a big field with plenty of cover and he’s perfectly berthed in stall two to manifest that desire. It’s easy to forgive his last run when drawn wide in a class three Chester and pulling hard throughout, having not handled the tight track nor staying the 1m2f 1/2F distance. Prior to that he was sent off 11/4F at Hamilton and it looked as if he was coming with a winning run a furlong out on the far side, but after pulling hard throughout in rear he fared little chance and was overhauled late on, weakening to only be beaten two lengths.
It was only three runs ago that he opened up his account at the eighth time of asking when a very game winner in a 1M 1/2F handicap at Hamilton in this class, where he was suited to the strong early gallop, still racing keenly but not enough to limit his performance. He picked up well and sustained a furlong duel with the favourite, gamely coming out on top at the line and pulling well clear of the third. The form of that race has worked out well for the grade, with the second winning cosily next time out going up 5lbs, the third was a two length winner next time out going up 4lbs, the four was a game winner last time out and the fourth was only beaten a length into second last time out.
The handicapper has relented by a pound on the back of those two efforts and while he remains 2lbs above that last win, he’s still well handicapped based on the collateral form there and also on his half a length second to Remoji at Beverley when giving he 5lbs, who’s since taken a Haydock handicap off 77 and now rated 80, so taking that form literally, Easterby’s runner is entitled to be an 80’s rated sort in time and in these big field conditions I’d expect him to improve on anything he’s show before, particularly given he’s well suited to a firmer surface.
5:15 Pontefract – Sky Bet Build A Bet Handicap (Class 3) (3yo+ 0-95) – Golden Flame 22/1 Hills 0.5pt WIN
This selection requires a bit of faith given he was beaten nineteen lengths in the Northumberland Plate last time out, but that came from a whopping 612 day lay off and the Faulkner team proved their ability to bring a horse back from such a layoff with Golden Rules, who was a winner from a 638-day layoff last March before beaten half a length in the Northumberland Plate next time out.
GOLDEN FLAME is now under the licence of Deborah’s assistant trainer and son Thomas Faulkner who also owns the horse, but with a run under his belt then he’s worth chancing in case he retains any of his former potential. You’d only have to go back three starts to find course form, when he was beaten a length by Wise Eagle her over 2m2F in October 2022, who boosted that form by coming out and taking a 52k handicap at Musselburgh off a 4lbs higher mark before an astonishing four length second to Coltrane in a G3 at Ascot when rated 103.
This small runner field may aid his cause, as three of his wins for the Johnston’s in 2021 came in fields of four, three and six, and he has enough smart back form in handicaps – such as a second in the Nell Hook at Haydock and a third in a Shergar Cup contest – to warrant him a bet in here as he wouldn’t have to run anywhere near to his former peak mark to take this off 85, though I’m well aware it comes with risks attached hence the half stake.
The booking of Silvestre De Souza is perhaps a signal of intent and his overall record at Pontefract further bodes confidence, with a 20% all time strike rate (430-89-95) and a profit margin of £15.15 to a £1 level stake.
5:45 Pontefract – Sky Bet Extra Places Every Day Handicap (Class 4) (3yo+ 0-85) – Highwaygrey 13/2 Hills 2pt WIN
Sea That Storm has to be feared on the back of his comfortable win on handicap debut at Redcar last time out when upped to this distance for the first time and looks a typical improver for this yard, but the form’s open to question and it may pay to favour the course specialist HIGHWAYGREY, who is still well handicapped on older form despite posting two solid efforts of late.
Tim Easterby’s eight-year-old’s record in C&D handicaps read 11112423312, narrowed down further to 111331 in this class and narrowed even further down to 11121 in fields of eight or under in this class, so he has to be trusted on that evidence to run his race. He posted his highest RPR since last August when just touched off by half a length in an apprentice handicap last time out over C&D by one clearly revitalised and chucked in from a 349-day layoff, ultimately given far too much to do in rear and unsurprisingly clocking the highest finishing speed percentage (104.04%) of the field.
Prior to that, he was delivered perfectly by Dave Allan to land a 0-78 five runner field over C&D, travelling strongly in rear and just getting up on the line. The third from that race came out and won a 18k racing league contest at Windsor on Thursday so there’s substance to the form and suggests we shouldn’t be put off by the fact he’s 7lbs higher this time around.
Crucially, he needs a strong gallop in order to switch off in rear and six of the seven runners in here were prominent or led in either of their last two starts, so the pace should be an honest one and he’s well birthed in stall two to track the field on the rail and come home with a sweeping late run.
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