David Massey has Tuesday's Punting Pointers with bets at Catterick and Leicester.
1pt win Fougere in the 2.10 Leicester at 5/1 (General, min 4/1)
0.5pts e.w Travel Candy in the 4.22 Catterick at 16/1 (Bet365, min 14/1)
The worst of the weather seems to have passed over for the time being, but there will be ease in the ground at both Leicester and Catterick, with the latter track tending to favour wide draws at all shorter distances in such circumstances, with an emphasis also on being able to gain good track position early.
One who makes plenty of appeal back at Catterick is Brian Ellison’s TRAVEL CANDY, who shaped better than the result when making the running at Beverley last time and can now race off a mark of 65, 4lb lower then making all to score on soft ground here just under a year ago. Ellison had a good winner at York on Sunday in the shape of Northern Spirit, and his team has been in excellent form in recent weeks.
Travel Candy does need to step on this season’s form, but the signs of a revival were there at Beverley, and while she handles the good to form ground she’s been racing on, the return to a softer surface ought to suit given that 5f win last autumn came in the mud an represented a career-best effort.
We're both keen on FOUGERE for this opening apprentices handicap, given she’s bang in form after her Nottingham win in July and then almost following up when beaten a short-head at Yarmouth last time, finding only McTed a short head too good and the pair over three lengths clear of the third. She's proven with a bit of cut in the ground, and although she needs a pace to aim at (can pull) she should get one here, with Fillyfudge likely to make it a good gallop, and over this trip I’d expect Saint Riquier to push on too.
Saint Riquier was successful over 12f last time but seemed to need every yard of that, and for all he’ll go on the ground okay, I fancy Fougere will have the better turn of foot. Worth noting Joe Leavy can’t claim his 5lb here whereas he did last time, so in effect Saint Riqieur is 8lb worse off today, whereas Ethan Jones can claim his five off Fougere today and couldn’t last time, making him much the better off at the weights.
There are question marks against Azahara Palace after a couple of disappointing efforts, but she was a ready winner over a mile here (good to soft) on her reappearance, after which she was highly tried in the Kensington Palace (ran respectably) and a 0-88 at Ascot (again, shaped well) but she seems to have lost her form completely on her last two starts, although the all-weather was a possible excuse last time. You have to be the forgiving type, but Billy Loughnane is back on board and he’s unbeaten on her in three starts. You’d want a price and she looks win-only material, but in the hope Billy gets her to settle better than has been the case (and he does seem to have the golden touch with her) she's of some interest stepping up in trip.
Published at 0930 BST 10/09/24
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