From the sublime to the ridiculous

After yesterday´s magnificent racing, today´s cards are a total anti-climax. Pontefract offers the best sport, and -with all due respect - this says everything about the quality of today´ s three cards. The conditions race over 2 1/4 miles at 16 .10 CET has only 5 runners and looks a straight match between the 3yo´s Colour Vision (Mark Johnston/ Silvestre de Sousa) and Firefighter (Sir Mark Prescott/ David Probert), who has won 4 of his last 4 races. There is little between them but we incline to the Johnston colt. He could possibly be a second winner for the Johnston/ de Sousa team, who also have a chance with top weight Crown Counsel in the 3yo handicap over a mile half an hour earlier. He must however give a lot of weight to the in-form Cruiser (Willie Muir/ Martin Dwyer) and Diverting (Willie Jarvis/ Lee Newman), who is going for a fourtimer.

At Warwick, our old friend the 11yo Cape Royal runs his 170th race in the 5 furlongs handicap at 15.50. He has top-weight here against a poor bunch, but even so we are not sure if he can handle the fast ground. A better bet could be Dare to Bare (Amanda Perrett/ Darryll Holland) in the mile handicap at 17.20. After three successive second places, he finally won last time out at Kempton, and if he can transfer that form to turf, can score again here. At Windsor, our eye is caught by ex-German classic winner Aviso (David Evans/ Kieren Fallon) in the mile handicap at 16.00. He has been a frequent disappointment, but ran a good race over 7 furlongs last time at Leicester, and for the first time in ages has a senior jockey on board here. At this track it usually pays to follow Richard Hannon´s 3yo´s, so we suggest that Eurystheus might win the maiden at 16.00 and the stable can follow up half an hour later with Avon River in the claimer, both ridden by Richard Hughes.