/ Editor / 23 June 2007 /

Pontefract, Sunday, 15.40

A teasing Listed contest (15.40) is the feature on Sunday's Pontefract card with any number of possible winners.

The key race is the recent Listed Hildon Stakes at Goodwood, in which four of these took part, Ivy Creek (first), Shahin (second), Foxhaven (third) and Alfie Flits (fifth).

Why it took Geoff Wragg so long to try Ivy Creek, a half-brother to top stayer Distinction, over a mile a half is strange, but on his first try at the trip he won because of a serious turn of foot rather than stamina.

Typically for a Goodwood race, there was lots of trouble yet Ivy Creek managed to get out in time and win snugly.

He could have more improvement to come, and the veteran Wragg had a Royal Ascot winner this week, so Ivy Creek is a worthy favourite. However, if punters work up a head of steam over his chance the lay button may be the preferred option.

While Ivy Creek was struggling to get daylight, Shahin was coming with uninterrupted run from last place up the wide outside at Goodwood. He ran strongly to the line, although always being held by the winner, and supporters will be encouraged that his profile is one of steady improvement and that was his first run of the season.

Alfie Flits won this race (a weaker version) comfortably last season and a repeat is still on the cards. He suffered a rough passage in the Goodwood race and probably shouldn't be judged on that. He will also appreciate the softer ground, as his career-best victory at Windsor last backend showed.

Foxhaven and Peppertree Lane are likely to be vying for the lead throughout and both are difficult to pass. Foxhaven is 3lb better off with Ivy Creek on Goodwood form and is a hardy, under-valued type who will give you a run for your money.

Peppertree Lane, in typical Mark Johnston fashion, just kept galloping on too strongly for hot-pot Day Flight at Newbury and looks over-priced on some betting forecasts.

Godolphin knows how to win this race, having been successful with Songlark in 2005. The Geezer had one run for them last season when he didn't show the same level of form he had with David Elsworth.

He's not likely to short of fitness, though this will be a tough race to win first time up.

7f 26yd Listed Stakes. Warwick, Sunday, 16.00

Elusive Flash's third on her seasonal return at Newbury has a copper-bottomed look and she is the form choice in Warwick's Listed race (16.00) on Sunday.

Apart from the first two home, Indian Ink and Majestic Roi, who have franked the form in high class company since, she slammed the remainder of the field.

Doubts persist which might tempt layers, though, if she starts clear favourite. She was a 66-1 chance at Newbury and left all previous form behind; why hasn't she run for 64 days, and why hasn't a more obvious big-race jockey been booked?

Nans Joy is another who posted a suspiciously good career-best last time. There are those who will say she had a soft lead in that Epsom Group 3 but it may be prudent to give her credit.

After being headed by Harvest Queen, she was entitled to drop away. Instead, she battled back in front of that rival and was only passed by the likes of subsequent Windsor Forest winner Nannina. A big negative, however, is that the drop back to 7f from 1m1f is a worry.

John Hills has roped in his brother Michael to ride Diamond Diva for the first time and though her two wins have come on sand, the overall profile of her form is good and her latest five-length success suggested she could be up to Listed class. A strong place candidate at least, as is Look So, who is unbeaten at this specialists' trip of 7f and she loves soft ground.

Sesmen's career has been well handled and she was not beaten far in the French Guineas, but her swingeing 8lb penalty for a Group 3 win at Goodwood last season is hard to ignore.

Along with Medley, she is not a certain runner because of the ground. The Queen's filly put up a disappointing effort when last seen, given the level of her other efforts, and the easy explanation - that she failed to stay 7f in softish ground - doesn't bode well for her chance here.

Mimisel could be a back-to-lay candidate at a big price. Rae Guest doesn't usually fly high unless it is warranted and this filly was scratched from a more competitive Salisbury Listed sprint last weekend - suggesting she's likely to run better than her price indicates.

Pinkabout was highly tried last season and the Gosden stable could hardly be in better form, but Ponty Rossa has even more going for her for place punters. Few two-year-old fillies run up hat-tricks as she did last season and she ended the campaign on a high with a fine fifth in a Group 3 at Ayr, a place behind Zanida.

The one and only time she has raced at this 7f trip she recorded a career-best effort and she simply failed to stay a mile last time.

Whazzis is yet another worthy of consideration in an open contest - she's proven at 7f on softish ground and is in the form of her life.

1m 4f Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud (Group 1). Saint-Cloud, Sunday, 14.50

This Group 1 contest (14.50) is the quality race of the weekend and provides Kieren Fallon with a chance of gaining a first Group 1 success since his French ban ran it course.

It is interesting, too, that Sir Michael Stoute remains loyal to the jockey who still can't ride in Britain because of his impending court case.

Whether Fallon's mount, Mountain High has the class to ruffle Mandesha is a moot point.

She has been first past the post on her last seven starts, which includes a hat-trick of Group 1 successes at 1m, 1m2f and 1m4f - which proves she's versatile as well as good.

Basically, if the real Mandesha turns up, she wins, but odds-on layers will be hoping that it wasn't just a case of rustiness which saw her win in unconvincing fashion at Saint-Cloud on her seasonal return when she also played up in the paddock beforehand.

Mountain High is probably not a true Group 1 performer, but he is reliable and after hanging left on his last two starts he may find a little improvement going left-handed on Sunday and with the aggressive Fallon on board.

Similarly, the other British challenger, Youmzain, is perhaps short of genuine Group 1-winning ability (he's won a weak one in Germany) and was put in his place by Notnowcato and Dylan Thomas in Ireland recently. However, with a new jockey in Spencer, he could prove the most likely threat to Mandesha.

Like Youzmain, German challenger Prince Flori holds a narrow advantage over Egerton in his career and lines of form suggest there is little between him, the Channon runner, Fallon's mount Mountain High and another local hope Irish Wells.

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