Flat racing at Pontefract, Yarmouth and Limerick (Ireland)

The most interesting races today are the 3yo maidens. The opening mile race at Yarmouth for maiden fillies at 15.30 CET is actually for 3yo´s and older, but all 16 declared to run are 3yo´s and include several well-bred candidates from top stables, such as Top Tigress (Sir Michael Stoute/ Ryan Moore) Towbaat (Michael Jarvis/ Frankie Dettori) Alsufooh (Mark Johnston/ Richard Hills) or Nadinska (Mick Channon/ Kieren Fallon).

This is a race to watch rather than to bet on. A better betting opportunity is the 3yo handicap over 5 furlongs at 17.00. Fair Passion (Derek Shaw/ Jimmy Quinn) has won both her starts this season, but they were on the all-weather and this looks a stronger race. Silver Linnet (Mick Quinlan/ William Buick) has also won her last 2 races, but now meets Ffos Las runner-up Leleyf (Channon/ Fallon) on 6lbs worse terms. Top-weight Monsieur Joe (Walter Swinburn/ Ryan Moore) also comes into the equation, but has not run since the autumn. Our suggestion here is Leleyf. The 10 furlongs handicap at 17.30 is also an open affair. Ex-German Raptor (Mark Rimmer/ Jamie Mackay) won over this CD last week, but this looks a better race, and we prefer bottom weight Hollow Green (David Evans/ Andrew Heffernan) and Alcalde (Johnston/ Dettori).

The card at Pontefract is also opened by a 3yo maiden - this time over 10 furlongs. The two German-breds Zuider Zee (John Gosden/ Robert Havlin) and Gay Mirage (Michael Jarvis/ Michael Hills) both showed promise on their only starts and should go well. The best race here is the 10 furlongs handicap at 17.20, which looks quite a high-class event. Top-weight Distant Memories (Tom Tate/ Jamie Spencer) is also entered in a group race at Cologne this Sunday, but this looks more realistic. However it will not be easy to give weight to such as Tartan Gigha (Johnston/ Joe Fanning) and Albaqaa (Richard Fahey/ Paul Hanagan), while the German-breds here Ouster (David Elsworth/Dane O´Neill) -very lightly raced- and Full Speed (Alan Swinbank/ Peter Mcdonald) are also of interest. Royal Power (David and Adrian Nicholls) won the German 2,000 Guineas back in 2006; he now contests the mile handicap here at 16.20 off a very low rating of 81 and must go close if anywhere near his best form. Ano ther who has dropped a lot in the weights is course specialist Mr.Wolf (John Quinn/ Ian Brennan), who runs in the second division of the 6 furlongs handicap at 18.20.

In Ireland, there is a twilight meeting at Limerick, where the extremely well-bred Encompassing (Aidan O´Brien/ Johnny Murtagh), beaten favourite on all his 3 starts so far, can make up for those defeats by winning the mile maiden for 3yo´s at 19.25.