Placepot Pointers

Placepot Pointers – Haydock, Saturday, May 31st

1.13

Ex-Sir Michael Stoute-trained runners are ten from 64 since the start of 2022 for a profit of £45.48 to a £1 level stake at SP and FOX JOURNEY, successful on his last two seasonal debuts, looks interesting on his first start for Kevin Ryan after a winter gelding operation. MUSTAZEED has a good record on flat/left-handed tracks with his five wins split across Newbury, Doncaster and Yarmouth. He hasn’t been out yet this term but is a dual winner on his seasonal debut. SHADER was too green to do himself justice when third on his debut at Yarmouth last summer and is two from two on the all-weather since. Gelded over the winter, John and Thady Gosden’s four-year-old looks a likely improver on his reappearance.

3 Shader

11 Mustazeed

12 Fox Journey

1.48

TRILBY has form figures at this venue of 16121 (3-5) and won’t be inconvenienced by the return to 6f after his staying-on seventh of 17 to American Affair in a hot race at York last time. Kevin Ryan’s turf handicappers are profitable to back blind in first-time cheekpieces and SERGEANT WILKO bounced back from a modest comeback effort to run fourth to all-weather expert Ferrous at Newcastle last time. That was only his second run since a gelding operation and there could be more to come in the headgear. The form of FINE INTERVIEW’s reappearance third at Doncaster’s Lincoln meeting worked out well and Hamad Al Jehani’s four-year-old did well to finish so close after getting no cover from the strong wind.

1 Sergeant Wilko

3 Fine Interview

17 Trilby

2.23

Progeny of the sire Sioux Nation have a fine record in fields of ten or fewer runners over 5f-7f, landing 110 of their 541 starts (20.3% strike-rate) for a profit of £130.15 to a £1 level stake at SP. SHAGRAAN will appreciate the return to a small field after his fourth of 17 to American Affair at York and he’s 1-1 over course and distance. BALMORAL LADY’s record on officially good or softer going stands at 2111123 (4-7) and could make the frame at a big price.

6 Shagraan

8 Balmoral Lady

2.58

ESTRANGE made quite an impact on her debut at Goodwood last summer, landing a fillies’ maiden by five and a half lengths. She had excuses when mid-division in Listed company at Yarmouth next time at bounced back to land a soft-ground Doncaster Listed contest on her final outing. She wouldn’t want the ground to dry out too much but still rates a Placepot banker.

5 Estrange

3.33

Plenty of those near the head of the market for the 7f John Of Gaunt Stakes have something to prove – AUDIENCE has yet to win left-handed, KINROSS has needed his comeback run in recent seasons, while SPYCATCHER is 0-9 at the trip. The Kevin Ryan-trained ROOM SERVICE is capable of running well when fresh and will appreciate any cut in the ground. Stablemate VOLTERRA was a huge eyecatcher in the Britannia Stakes at Royal Ascot last summer, doing best of the far side bunch when 11th of 29 overall and signed off with a 7f soft-ground victory at the same venue. He has a good record when fresh and he also gets a Placepot vote, despite the suspicion that all roads again lead to Royal Ascot this year.

8 Room Service

11 Volterra

4.08

OOLONG POOBONG bombed out on her nursery debut at Wolverhampton last August but was always caught wide and was reportedly never travelling. Ed Bethell’s three-year-old has finished first or second in her other four starts, going down by a nose when 22-1 at Newcastle on her comeback, and should go well again. Banker.
10 Oolong Poobong