Pontefract and Wolverhampton

Flat racing in the U.K. this afternoon at Pontefract and this evening on the all-weather at Wolverhampton. Best race at the Yorkshire track is the 10 furlongs handicap at 17.00 CET, in which all 8 runners seem to have chances. Both Mark Johnston and Richard Fahey saddle two runners, with Submariner (Kieren Fallon) and easy Yarmouth winner High Office (Paul Hanagan) respectively the choice on jockey bookings.

We have a slight preference for the former, who has been running in better races and was not disgraced when 8th of 18 in a hot handicap at Newbury last Saturday. Fastnet Storm (Tom Tate/ Neil Callan) is the only CD winner in the field, and was runner-up in a similar race last time at Ripon, while top-weight Sirvino (David Barron) has been out of form but would have a great chance in his 2009 form, when he won 5 successive races. Tiger Webb (Henry Cecil/ Ian Mongan) looks a good thing to win the 2yo maiden half an hour later, having finished a close runner-up on both starts so far, but beware of John Gosden`s Oversteer (William Buick), who showed little on his debut but is expected to show considerable improvement now.

It could be significant that Buick has been sent to Yorkshire to ride Oversteer, as he has to rush afterwards to Wolverhampton to ride High Twelve in the main event there, a handicap over 8 1/2 furlongs at 21.00. This is a very tricky race, in which Layline (Ralph Beckett/ Jim Crowley) - runner-up here last time over 7 furlongs with some of these behind - and Secretive (Mark Johnston/ Joe Fanning) - won last time at Brighton despite hanging all over the place - and consistent Red Somerset (Mike Murphy/ Emmet McNamara) also make the short list. Multiple German group winner Aspectus (Jamie Osborne/ Fergus Sweeney) has top-weight here, but at his best would laugh at these rivals. However he has been very disappointing and inconsistent so far in his British races and is probably best left alone for the time being.