8.30pm Pontefract Tips & Betting Preview 26/05/2017

It’s handicap action as eight fillies go to post for the fifth race of the day at Pontefract on Friday evening, see our betting tips and the full race preview below.

IN SUMMARY: Bonnie Arlene is likely to go close but she’s still a maiden and is likely to find at least one too good, with that being LIVELLA FELLA today. This front runner has been running respectably of late and has been given a chance by the handicapper, dropped 3lb from her latest run where things didn’t go her way. She’s got Stall 2 for today’s assignment and Silvestre De Sousa is booked, so a big run looks on the cards with conditions to and the yard bang in form.

1 LIVELLA FELLA – Usually front runs for Keith Dalgleish and has two wins to her name from twenty-five starts, with things perhaps not going her way the last twice where she has been unable to play a big role in the finish. The handicapper has given her a chance off a 3lb lower mark and Silvestre De Sousa takes the ride from a great draw in Stall 2. She’s very interesting in this for an in form trainer and if allowed to dominate, she’ll be tough to crack.

2 LA HAVRESE – Took three victories last year for Lynn Siddall and has been performing reasonably well of late, finishing midfield on most of her runs barring a second at Wolverhampton on her penultimate start. She’s now a pound below her last winning mark but is vulnerable to improvers as a six year old mare with thirty-four runs under her belt. Another whose likely to be on the premises but others just make more appeal for win purposes.

3 AL HAWRAA – Showed some promise when placing twice in maidens for Kevin Ryan but she has struggled in the main since switching to handicaps. She has been well beaten on both her runs this season including on her latest start at Hamilton,with this step up in trip needing to have a drastic effect to get her involved. That is entirely plausible but others have far less to prove and although she has each way claims if the trip change works, she looks an unlikely winner.

4 RUBIS – Scrambled home at the sixteenth time of asking at Lingfield on the all weather three starts ago, running well in two subsequent starts after a two pound rise. She remains on that same mark for this but will need more upped in class on her return from a 147 day absence for Richard Fahey. Her overall record suggests she is likely to find at least one too good and although she has each way claims, she looks vulnerable for win purposes.

5 INFLEXIBALL – Now an eighteen race maiden for John Mackie and although she was a good second three starts ago at Wolverhampton, she was bitterly disappointing when well beaten over the same C&D a month later. The return to turf is no problem and she’s now down to a mark of 57 which is a career low, but she has something to prove now and likely will find at least one too good in this sort of company despite in form jockey Graham Lee taking the ride.

6 BABAMUNCHKIN – Thee year old filly by Henrythenavigator racing for Michael Bell who has been well beaten in three maidens so far, signing off in that discipline when never sighted at Windsor two weeks ago. She makes her handicap debut today off a mark of 65 and is up in trip, with the suspicion she can do much better now with handicaps the likely target all along. The yard are in brilliant form, as is jockey Paul Mulrennan and a big run is on the cards.

7 BONNIE ARLENE – Still a maiden after twelve attempts though she has been running well on the all weather of late for Mark Johnston, with form figures of 2232 since October. He was collared very late on at Kempton on his latest start and has been raised 4lb as a result, which seems fair as the front two were two lengths clear of the remainder. Looks to have solid each way claims again under Franny Norton but there would have to be a suspicion he’ll find at least one too good.

8 NAVAJO THUNDER – Ran in three maidens in the space of a month for Mick Appleby, well beaten on all three occasions including when last seen in September at Wolverhampton. This however is more suitable and she makes her handicap debut off a mark of 56, which could be lenient. She returns from 256 days off an is one to watch very carefully in the market for a trainer who is operating at a very good strike rate at present.