By Charlie McCann
The new flat season arrives at Pontefract and the picturesque West Yorkshire track welcomes the new season in style. Tuesday offers us an excellent seven race card including a maiden won last year by Libertarian, subsequent runner-up to Ruler of the World in the Derby.
This year's maiden looks to be a very warm renewal, with exciting entries from the William Haggas, Marco Botti, Roger Varian and Luca Cumani yards respectively.
However, race looks to revolve around the Sir Michael Stoute's pair of Arbaab and Munaaser (2.40) with preference for the latter with Paul Hanagan opting to ride for boss Sheikh Hamdan. He was a beaten favourite due on debut at Yarmouth when well backed and should be able to make amends at the second time of asking.
The New Approach would ideally prefer quicker ground but has an entry in the Dante and the Derby so is clearly held in high regard and is the one to beat.
In the six furlongs fillies' maiden the Cheveley Park Stud runner looks the part on paper for William Haggas and Ryan Moore and is taken to beat Karl Burke's Two Smart, dropping down in grade after respectable efforts in sales races at Newmarket.
Danehill Revival (4.45) is a daughter of Pivotal, a sire that excels with speedy juveniles and from a family the stable know well; trainer William Haggas trained the dam Danehill Destiny to listed success – with jockey Ryan Moore in the plate.
Mark Johnston should be able to take the opener with Life and Times (2.10) under a penalty seeking the hat-trick. The 6-y-o landed an almighty punt when backed like defeat was out of the question two starts back at Wolverhampton and duly obliged 12 days later, to win again over course and distance by ten lengths. If he can translate is all-weather to the turf then he looks something of a penalty kick.
The stable can double up with Quickaswecan (3.10) in the six furlong handicap, in an admittedly fiercely competitive renewal and plenty of horses likely to prove to be group class in time and Marco Botti's Quiet Warrior in particular looking the part on paper.
That being said Quickaswecan was touted as one of the stables top 2-y-o's last year and despite not living up to the hype initially, can bounce back having hopefully progressed over the winter. If he is anywhere near as good the whispers originally suggested he should make mincemeat of his rivals from a mark of 82 and jockey Joe Fanning likely to make full use of the colt from the plumb draw in stall two.
The feature ten furlong handicap looks the perfect place for Luca Cumani's Ajman Bridge (4.15) to start his season off. The colt won on his first foray into handicaps when running out an impressive scorer over course and distance and was unfortunate to lose his unbeaten record on his next start at Newmarket.
He was caught out in a muddling affair at Doncaster on ground softer than ideal and on better ground should be too good for a field of handicappers, likely to finish the season in much higher grade.
John Quinn won the corresponding marathon contest with Hidden Justice who had been campaigned over hurdles and his Calculated Risk (3.40) carries a very similar profile and has the eye-catching jockey booking of Ryan Moore in the saddle.
The 5-y-o disappointed when returning from a break to finish down the field in the Coral Cup but prior to that was an impressive scorer over hurdles at Sedgefield and looks well treated back on the flat from a mark of 72, as opposed to 136 over jumps.
Local trainer Ed Tuer won the finale on last year's card with Gold Show (5.15) and she can lands the spoils in the lucky last, returning after an unsuccessful stint hurdling.
Paul Mulrennan guided the mare to victory from a mark of 68 and she returns on a 3lb lower mark with Kevin Stott taking off a useful 5lb and she looks handicapped to give another good account at her beloved ‘Ponte Carlo'.
For all the latest odds go to BetVictor.com
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