3 minute read
Veteran sprinter Arecibo can get the better of several other familiar names to secure top honours in the Who’ll Be The 1st Yorkshire Wonder Horse? Handicap at Pontefract.
Top-weight Dakota Gold, Justanotherbottle and Copper Knight are among Arecibo's rivals in West Yorkshire, all of whom hold few secrets but are talented speedsters on their day.
The advantage Arecibo holds over each of those, though, is race fitness, having already run twice since the turn of the year.
Both outings came on the all-weather at Lingfield, with the eight-year-old finishing eighth in the Listed Hever Sprint Stakes in February before going down by a short head to the reopposing Live In The Dream on his return to handicap company last month.
Live In The Dream is clearly a threat for the rematch on the turf, but Arecibo is better off at the weights and is fancied to exact his revenge and secure his first victory since 2021.
On the same card, Andrew Balding can strike gold in the British Stallion Studs EBF "High-Rise" Maiden Stakes with the King Power-owned Time Test colt Legacy Power.
The bay, whose dam Aurelia has produced four winners already, was second on debut when beaten a length and a half in a Lingfield maiden in February and holds a Derby entry.
Normal improvement will make him very hard to beat as he transitions to the grass.
Wolverhampton punters are advised to put their faith in Simon and Ed Crisford's Tajawal in the Sky Sports Racing Sky 415 Maiden Stakes.
The Frankel colt will have gone into several notebooks after an eyecatching debut at Kempton in December as he was beaten only a neck despite looking badly in need of the experience.
He should have a better idea of what is required at the second time of asking and looks to have been found an excellent opportunity to open his account.
Paul Nicholls appears well placed to add to his tally at Exeter, with Ioupy Collonges a major contender for the Thank You Jennifer "Rabbit" Slattery Handicap Hurdle.
The gelding has been exceptionally consistent in his first season for the champion trainer, winning twice and finishing second twice from four starts for the Million In Mind Partnership.
He was put in his place by Ike Sport in a two-mile-three-furlong handicap hurdle at Taunton when last seen, but there is every chance a step up to the best part of three miles could help this former Irish pointer take his game to another level in the hands of 5lb claimer Ben Bromley.
Nicholls should also be on the mark as an owner with admirable Shantou Flyer contesting the concluding Totnes And Bridgetown Races Company Ltd Open Hunters' Chase.
The 13-year-old, who is trained by Sam Loxton, gave the Ditcheat handler's daughter Olive a fantastic spin when third in the St. James's Place Festival Challenge Cup at the Cheltenham Festival last month and a reproduction of that run should suffice at this lower level.
SELECTIONS:
DUNDALK: 5.15 Brighter, 5.45 No Trouble, 6.15 Red Riding Hood, 6.45 Feature This, 7.15 Broadhurst, 7.45 Might And Mercy, 8.15 Zaza Zut.
EXETER: 1.15 Captain Jack, 1.45 Sporting Mike, 2.15 General Medrano, 2.45 Electric Annie, 3.15 Haldon Hill, 3.45 Ioupy Collonges, 4.15 Shantou Flyer.
PONTEFRACT: 2.00 Big Cheese, 2.30 Snuggle, 3.00 Flint Hill, 3.30 ARECIBO (NAP), 4.00 Project Black, 4.30 Legacy Power, 5.05 Barney's Bay.
WOLVERHAMPTON: 5.30 Fox Flame, 6.00 Captain Potter, 6.30 Tajawal, 7.00 Give A Little Back, 7.30 Pierce, 8.00 Freedom Flyer, 8.30 Reckon I'm Hot.
DOUBLE: Arecibo and Legacy Power.
