Listed race at Pontefract

After yesterday´s huge number of fixtures, we are down today to one flat meeting and one over jumps in the U.K. and ditto for Ireland. The only black type race is the listed event for fillies and mares over 6 furlongs at 16.45 CET at Pontefract. Very few of the 12 runners are up to normal listed standard, most of them being handicappers, but Ladies Are Forever (Geoff Oldroyd/ Danny Tudhope) is a genuine group race performer and won York´s Summer Stakes two starts ago. She is the best runner in the field but has a 7 lbs oenalty for that success, which makes life difficult, and we are not sure if she can concede the weight to Spinatrix (Michael Dods/ Connor Beasley), runner-up yesterday in the big handicap at Ripon, or to Hoodna (Saeed bin Suroor/ Silvestre de Sousa), who ran respectably in the Stewards Cup last time. Online Alexander (Kevin Ryan( Graham Lee) actually won at the Goodwood meeting, but that was in a much lower grade over 5 furlongs. A much more dangerous 3yo on Goodwood form is surely Valonia (Henry Candy/ Harry Bentley); Candy is having a good season and does especially well with sprinters, so we give her the vote.

German-bred Wiesentraum (Lucy Wadham/ Leighton Aspell) is two from two at Southwell and attempts to repeat his 2013 victory in the 2 1/ 2 mile handicap chase at 16.00; he is 5 lbs higher than last year but still has a decent chance. Two other German-breds on the same card are the veterans Schelm (John Quinn/ Oliver Pimlott) at 16.30 and CD specialist Moon Melody (Mike Sowersby/ Brian Hughes) at 18.05. Both are certainly capable of running into the money if in the right mood.

An interesting ex-German runner in Ireland is Coolfighter (N.Dooly/ JL Cullen) in the maiden hurdle at 15.50 at Tramore. He won 5 races in Germany in 2012, but showed very little in Ireland until suddenly he won twice last week at this track - including yesterday- on the flat. If allowed to take his chance today - and assuming he can jump - he must go close in this company, where ex-Fabre Alileo (Willie Mullins/ Paul Townend) is the obvious danger.

Betting forecast:
1. Race: Grandad`s World - Baron Spikey - Robin Park
2. Race: Alex Vino - Only Orsenfoolsies - Asteroidea
3. Race: Air Squadron - Precision Strike - Beat The Shower
4. Race: Ladies Are Forever - Spinatrix - Hoodna
5. Race: Oxsana - Imshivalla - Flycatcher
6. Race: Hesbaan - Flawless Pink - Tasmanian
7. Race: Poyle Vinnie - Solar Spirit - Le Laitier