Timeform daily: The Easter Holiday Handicap (Class 2) at Pontefract

Race of the Day Preview / Timeform / 24 March 2008 / Leave a Comment

Heaven Knows is the one all the others will have to beat

Tuesday March 25th 4.20 Pontefract

The Easter Holiday Handicap (Class 2)

With the conclusion of Fairyhouse's four-day Easter Meeting possibly providing the highlight of the days jumping action, it is Pontefract's card that will be of most interest to followers of the Flat. The renewal of this competitive handicap for older horses looks set to provide the pick of the track's seven races.

The Timeform ratings are headed by Heaven Knows who proved a consistent handicapper last year, following up a promising success at Newbury with a sixth-placed finish behind Malt or Mash in the November Handicap at Doncaster. Although he was far from discredited on that occasion, he did not pick up as well as seemed likely following a patient ride, suggesting that today's drop back to a mile and a quarter will be in his favour. Add to this the fact that the forecast ground should pose no problems and the possibility that he is capable of better and Heaven Knows looks the one to beat assuming he returns in good heart.

Richard Fahey and Paul Hanagan have won two of the three runnings of this event and they may well prove competitive once again with Flying Clarets. Victory by a neck from The Grey Berry in a handicap at York in October provided the highlight of the five-year-old's best year to date. Her neck second to last year's winner Charlie Tokyo, at the same course, is also worth noting. Flying Clarets has produced her best efforts on ground similar to this and as she tends to go well on her reappearance, it's hard to discount her.

Mull of Dubai progressed well throughout last year. He followed up wins in testing conditions at Windsor and Warwick three days apart in July, with a couple of good efforts to finish in the frame at Ascot and York. A reproduction of that form would see him have a chance here but it may be that he is in the grip of the handicapper at present. He will need to bounce back for his new stable after his disappointing final start as a four-year-old but he does look at his best on this surface.

Although possibly flattered, the form of Speedy Sam's second in the John Smith's Stakes at Newbury last year would makes his current mark look rather generous but he is yet to reproduce that in five subsequent outings on the level. He has performed respectably on the all-weather of late, however, and he is not without a chance off a mark just 1 lb higher than when last successful, although that was in 2006.

Eradicate bounced back from a few dismal efforts over a mile-and-a-half to finish his three-year-old campaign respectably. Although initially looking at his best beyond a mile-and-a-quarter when winning at Haydock and reaching the frame in the King George V Stakes at Ascot, it now seems this trip will suit him best and with Mark Johnston's runners going well at present he is another with claims.

Of the remainder, Aurete could pose a threat receiving weight from all his rivals, but he must prove himself at this trip if he is to feature and his first run for new connections was not encouraging. Profit's Reality was useful in 2006 but finished well-held at Wolverhampton on a return from a seventeen-month absence. He was, however, soon poorly placed on that occasion and the run is probably best ignored.