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Lady poised to uphold rich family tradition
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Main operation can continue fine recent form at Newbury
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Carr speedster poised to produce Ponte Profit
Newbury, 14.25 - Back Lady Of The Isles each-way @ 6/17.00
Heather Main has already enjoyed great success with progeny born from the mare of Lady Of The Court and the latest from the lineage, Lady Of The Isles, looks worth supporting in this opening handicap.
A half-sister to multiple winner Island Bandit, himself a winner at Newbury, and Brave Call who won the latest of his five starts at Windsor last summer, the daughter of French Guineas winner Make Believe enters into handicap company for the first time on a very workable mark of 60 here.
In need of her racecourse debut at Kempton in the winter, her two subsequent runs at Windsor have been encouraging, not least her second start where she was beaten six lengths by Sea Founder in a race which has seen the second, third (twice) and fifth all win subsequently, while eight-home Banksman has also obliged twice.
Last time out, Lady Of The Isles was still a little exuberant and paid for her exertions late on when fading into fourth, a little more than six lengths behind winner Silent City, but that outing served to ensure she was assessed and it might be significant that Ross Ryan is keen to retain the association.
The Main operation has also seen two of their last five runners oblige at 13/27.50 and 5/16.00 which increases confidence.
Back Lady Of The Isles, Each-Way, in 14:25 Newbury
Pontefract, 19.55 - Back Reigning Profit @ 7/24.50
Reigning Profit is no stranger to hard work - this outing will be his 60th career start - and it is interesting to note (for some) that all of his eight career victories have been achieved when he has returned to the track within a fortnight.
The selection has also finished runner-up on half a dozen occasions within that time frame so is clearly a sprinter who loves to remain active.
He has the opportunity to improve those stats again here when he returns to the scene of some of his best efforts and a track where he has accrued the form figures 71121.
The blot, on an otherwise very consistent cv at the south Yorkshire venue, can be excused as he was tackling six furlongs back in August 2022 and was hampered leaving the stalls before meeting trouble in running.
Other than that, Reigning Profit has relished his trips to Pontecarlo and arrives here on the back of a near career best in a fiercely-contested Ascot handicap on Saturday.
Reunited with the visor, Ruth Carr's gelding broke sharply from the stalls, which isn't always the case, and was only denied in the closing strides by the hat-trick seeking Alzahir.
The duo probably enjoyed the best of the draw on Saturday, but it was still a heartening performance from Reigning Profit and he may well gain compensation for the near miss here.
Back Reigning Profit to Win 19:55 Pontefract