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19:20 Pontefract

Tony Bethell Memorial Handicap (Class 4)

  • 10 Runners
  • Distance: 2m 1f 22y
  • Going: Good, Good to Firm in places
  • Surface: Turf
  • £7,000 added
Weighed In
  • Winning Time: 3m 49.60s
  • Off Time: 19:20:47
  • 10 Ran
2(1)
Silk - Dark Blue, White cross belts, sleeves and cap
7/1
  • Form 4/3313-0
  • Age 5
  • Weight 9-4
  • Official Rating 73

slowly into stride, held up in rear, good headway on outer over 5f out, soon tracking leaders and going well, ridden over 1f out, led inside final furlong, soon hung badly left, kept on and headed towards finish

3(5)
Silk - Grey and Royal Blue stripes, Red sleeves and cap
  • Form 190-517
  • Age 4
  • Weight 9-3
  • Official Rating 74

held up mid-division, ridden over 2f out, headway over 1f out, stayed on to lead towards finish

4(4)
Silk - Light Blue, Green sleeves, White cap
  • Form 85-6777
  • Age 10
  • Weight 9-0
  • Official Rating 69

tracked leader until before halfway, challenged when not much room entering final furlong, one pace

5(8)
Silk - Red, White triple diamond, White and Dark Blue hooped sleeves, White and Emerald Green hooped cap
4/1
  • Form 5-52301
  • Age 5
  • Weight 8-13
  • Official Rating 68

led, ridden over 4f out, headed inside final furlong, kept on same pace

6(9)
Silk - Red, Light Green armlets

Tribe

30 C
14/1
  • Form 1877-59
  • Age 6
  • Weight 8-13
  • Official Rating 68

fly-leapt start, held up in rear and keen, smooth headway on outer over 5f out, went 2nd over 2f out, soon ridden, weakened over 1f out

7(12)
Silk - YELLOW, ROYAL BLUE hoops, YELLOW sleeves, ROYAL BLUE armlets and cap
10/1
  • Form 580-570
  • Age 9
  • Weight 8-12
  • Official Rating 67

always towards rear

9(7)
Silk - Yellow, Red cross belts, Red sleeves, Yellow armlets
16/1
  • Form 5200/48
  • Age 6
  • Weight 8-11
  • Official Rating 66

tracked leaders, went 2nd before halfway, ridden over 4f out, weakened over 2f out, soon eased

10(6)
Silk - Black, Light Blue hoop, armlets and cap
16/1
  • Form 118-558
  • Age 8
  • Weight 8-10
  • Official Rating 65

tracked leaders, ridden over 2f out, no impression from over 1f out

11(10)
Silk - Orange, white disc, white and orange halved sleeves

Colwyn Bay (IRE)

264 pt BF
12/1
  • Form 131110-
  • Age 6
  • Weight 8-8
  • Official Rating 63

held up towards rear, weakened 2f out

12(11)
Silk - Red, Black epaulets, White sleeves and cap
  • Form 44301
  • Age 5
  • Weight 8-5
  • Official Rating 59

towards rear, outpaced over 2f out, kept on, no impression from over 1f out

1(3)
NR
  • Form 1-11525
  • Age 4
  • Weight 9-10
  • Official Rating 81

Nonrunner

8(2)
NR
  • Form 0694-12
  • Age 4
  • Weight 8-12
  • Official Rating 69

Nonrunner

In depth

Verdict

Great As Gold knows his way round here, but his recent form is poor and the Pontefract Cup may be his target later in June, so preference is for At The Money ahead of Rock 'N' Roller. The selection comes here on the back of a success at Goodwood on rain-softened ground. Assuming that the ground stays on the soggy side, and it usually does at Pontefract, this stout stayer gets the nod to lead from pillar to post. If pestered early on into going too quick then it may pay to side with Rock 'N' Roller who is a hold-up performer who will appreciate a fair pace. He didn't appreciate the drop in trip last time at Newbury but a better show can be expected today. Thewhirlingdervish hasn't been flying of late but is well-handicapped on old form and a market move would indicate a better showing, whilst Lady Dedlock has a pull in the weights with the selection having finished second at Goodwood and must be considered a major player. If the sun shines for a spell then Brave Bugsy has claims, as does Colwyn Bay who ranked up a sequence of wins at this time last year but as a result is possibly high enough in the weights now. A typically tough Yorkshire puzzle, with At The Money fancied to go in again.

Formwatch

Aphorism 5-1 (9-3) Slowly away, ridden over 2f out, always behind, eased when beaten, 11th of 12, 45l behind Flame Creek (7-13) at Newbury 2m hcp 0-85 (4) sft in Apr.

Rock 'n' Roller (FR) 6-1 (9-8) Mid-division, ridden over 2f out, no impression from over 1f out, 7th of 13, 4 1/2l behind Cleaver (9-9) at Newbury 1m 5f hcap (5) sft in May.

Thewhirlingdervish (IRE) 14-1 (9-5) Held up, outpaced 4f out, never on terms, 7th of 11, 13l behind Bukit Tinggi (9-10) at York 2m hcap (4) gd in May.

At The Money 15-2 (9-7) Made all, driven along and stayed on well final 2f, won at Goodwood 2m hcap (5) sft in May beating Lady Dedlock (9-8) by 1 1/2l, 12 ran.

Tribe 25-1 (8-9) Led to over 2f out, weakened quickly, tailed off, last of 9, 32l behind Silver Suitor (9-9) at Ascot 2m hcp 0-90 (3) gf in May.

Great As Gold (IRE) 25-1 (9-6) Towards rear, ridden 3f out, never dangerous, 10th of 13, 26l behind Mighty Moon (9-3) at York 2m 2f hcp 0-80 (4) gf in May.

Mt Desert 40-1 (9-1) Tracked leaders, ridden 4f out, soon weakened, 8th of 9, 30l behind Bukit Tinggi (9-5) at Haydock 1m 6f hcap (4) gf in May.

Merrymaker 8-1 (9-1) Held up mid-division, ridden and weakened 3f out, 8th of 13, 14l behind Directa's Digger (8-6) at Haydock 1m 6f hcap (5) gd in May.

Colwyn Bay (IRE) 11-8fav (9-13) Mid-division, driven and beaten 3f out, heavily eased final furlong, 10th of 13, 25l behind Bold Adventure (7-12) at Kempton 2m hcap (6) pol in Sept.

Brave Bugsy (IRE) 11-1 (10-13) Mid-division, headway over 2f out, led well over 1f out, ridden out, won at Bath 2m 1f amt hcp (6) gf in May beating Directa's Digger (10-10) by a nk, 15 ran.

Legend Erry (IRE) 8-1 (9-7) Tracked leaders, ridden 3f, led soon after, headed 2f out, faded inside final furlong, 5th of 12, 7l behind Flame Creek (7-13) at Newbury 2m hcp 0-85 (4) sft in Apr.

Lady Dedlock 9-1 (9-8) Soon close up, ridden 2f out, chased winner under pressure over 1f out, no real impression inside final furlong, 2nd of 12, 1 1/2l behind At The Money (9-7) at Goodwood 2m hcap (5) sft in May.