Scottish Sun columnist and Racing TV analyst Ed Watson runs the rule over the Sky Bet Sunday Series finale at Pontefract, where Jim Goldie has a second chance at cleaning up the £100,000 bonus with American Affair and Letsbefrank.
THE BEST BET - WINNING POINT (6.45)
A Sir Michael Stoute-trained three-year-old. With a pedigree to die for. Making its debut in a fillies-only handicap off an opening mark of just 75. Really, what’s not to like?
Sure, the 6f victory of WINNING POINT at Lingfield a smidge under a month ago, on just her second racecourse appearance, was more about style than substance. But it was the manner in which this Blue Point filly, whose mum was runner-up in an Irish 1000 Guineas, settled the issue with a neat change of gear 150 yards out which caught my eye.
Having been too keen for her own good on debut at Haydock, where she weakened right out of contention over 7f, the handicapper has had only two pieces of evidence to work with. While 75 is probably about right on what she’s achieved so far, I suspect it’s a mark which underplays her natural ability and potential. This is a good opportunity to prove as much.
The Inside Track: “It was my mistake to make the running on her at Haydock as she just didn’t settle. But she had a smooth run round Lingfield last time even though she wasn’t completely at home on the track. Pontefract is a stiffer track than Lingfield and she’s not slow, but it’s a short straight and it usually pays to be handy. Stall eight isn’t ideal but, as long as we do things the right way around, we should be OK” - Richard Kingscote, jockey
THE NEXT BEST - LETSBEFRANK (5.15)
‘Once bitten, twice shy’ is not an expression which applies to Jim Goldie. He may have seen the £100,000 bonus cruelly slip through his fingers twice at Haydock a fortnight ago but, undeterred, the gregarious Glaswegian is back for another stab at that unclaimed six-figure carrot, even though he has some reservations about the suitability of Ponty for the super-quick American Affair.
Goldie’s best chance of succeeding where his now-retired compatriot Keith Dalgleish narrowly failed with Evaluation two years ago rests with LETSBEFRANK. I stated my case for this late-developing Frankel four-year-old being a horse with plenty more in his locker ahead of the Haydock race. Nothing’s changed in my mind, for all that he’s gone up another 2lb for a neck defeat to Arrange. He has an extra furlong to cover here, and on a stiffer track to boot. If he stays, which his trainer is optimistic he will, a bonus-triggering third Series win is his for the taking.
Godsend completed a hat-trick for over this course and distance 11 days ago, recovering the situation well after hanging badly right off the home turn. Up 3lb for that, his best chance of completing a quick-fire four-timer for Sir Mark Prescott will be to turn the screw from some way out and try to draw the sting out of Letsbefrank’s legs.
The Inside Track: “Letsbefrank still isn’t the finished article and you’ll see a better horse here than at Haydock. The way that race panned out, we ended up with a massive target on our back. David Nolan took advantage of that. He stalked Paul (Mulrennan) through on Arrange and then nailed us on the line. We’ll try to do to Sir Mark’s horse what Arrange did to us! If we ride him to stay, I think he will.” - Jim Goldie, trainer
THE TREBLE BET - MARINE WAVE (4.45)
No doubt about the best quality race of seven. The remarkable Adaay In Devon is already a dual Listed winner who’ll be reunited with regular rider Silvestre De Sousa after a typically tenacious effort in last weekend’s Shergar Cup. Her earlier second in York’s Group 3 Summer Stakes sets the standard back at Listed level here, although slower ground would be preferable.
Timeform top billing goes to Rage Of Bamby after Eve Johnson Houghton’s filly recorded a clear PB in a handicap on the Knavesmire three weeks ago. While that fluent success further underlined her liking for decent ground, there’s a danger of going overboard about the form, as both Range Of Bamby (drawn in stall one) and runner-up Korker (three) raced on a favoured strip towards the far side of the straight.
Rage Of Bamby may prove worthy of that new higher figure, of course. Yet I can’t shake the feeling that she and Korker were at a significant advantage as a result. It’s also worth noting that Rage Of Bamby’s best two Timeform figures - and by some distance - have both come at York, a far more speed-favouring track than Pontefract.
MARINE WAVE has improved again for the return to 6f recently. She finished behind Adaay In Devon in the Summer Stakes (got badly squeezed up a furlong out) but posted excellent efforts in handicaps either side of that. She beat seasoned handicappers Dakota Gold and Mr Wagyu at Ripon with something to spare; then bettered that when missing out by just a nose to the now 108-rated Willem Twee at Wolverhampton. A repeat of that career-best run back on turf will give her hope of mixing it with the market leaders.
The Inside Track: “Marine Wave’s a classy filly and I’d love to pick up some Black Type with her. There are a couple in here who are rated a bit higher, but I’d say the close second at Wolverhampton last time was probably her best ever run. I’d love her to win a race like this and she’s in very good form.” - Richard Fahey, trainer
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