Pock to make mockery of mark in Plate Day opener
NEWCASTLE’S Northumberland Plate card begins on Saturday with a wide-open six-furlong handicap (1.40pm) where I’ve found another nice ante-post betting opportunity.
Durham Castle heads the market for Simon and Ed Crisford at around 5/1 and there are a host of talented sprinters following him in the betting, including the Wokingham sixth Aramram.
The one that really interests me, though, is POCKLINGTON, who is much further down the odds list.
Geoff Oldroyd’s four-year-old is lightly raced with only five starts under his belt and hasn’t been seen since a fine effort in a red-hot five-and-a-half-furlong Ebor meeting handicap last year.
He couldn’t go the rapid pace early on that day at York, but after having been cajoled by Harry Russell, he came from last with a surge of momentum that, despite interference, saw him only beaten three lengths at the finish.
The winner that day has gone on to win the Dash on Derby Day and others in front of Pocklington have won big sprints since too.
Saturday’s race sees the selection return to the six furlongs at Newcastle’s all-weather track, which is crucially where he began his career with two taking performances.
I considered him smart enough to be an outside bet in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot last year after that, and while he ran with credit, those Group One waters were probably a tad too deep for him.
However, off a mark of 94, remarkably dropped two pounds after that extraordinary effort at York, he really catches my eye here.
He’s showed his ability to act in super-competitive sprint handicaps, is back to a course and distance he loves, and if ship-shape off a long lay-off rates as a cracking each-way bet at 10/1.
POINTERS SATURDAY
Pocklington e/w 1.40pm Newcastle