Trainer travels 300-mile round trip to Pontefract with one horse

David Elsworth’s stables are based in Newmarket and it is not a regular occurrence for him to travel all the way to Pontefract. It is even less common for him to travel there with one horse.

In these strange Covid-19 times and with the economy currently falling flat on its backside, costs are being watched far more closely. It will cost a pretty penny to get a horse to that racecourse and back today.

The winner of the 1.00pm at Pontefract will take home £7,470.00 in prize-money. The runner-up will take home £2,237.00. To make the journey worthwhile, connections must surely be out to win the race.

He might have an inconsistent profile but today we have put TOM COLLINS up as our best bet of the day, or the NAP. He should love the soft conditions as he was a winner on this sort of ground as a two-year-old.

It is also highly interesting that the hugely talented Silvestre De Sousa has been booked for the ride. He has an incredible 24-per-cent strike-rate at Pontefract for the past five years.

Silvestre was aboard when this horse ran his best race of the season. He was very well backed at Doncaster at the end of June but finished a fast-finishing fourth, beaten a neck or so in a very bunched finish.

He was very disappointing at Newbury on good ground next time when sent off the 15/8 favourite. When last seen, he finished last of the five runners at Newmarket on ground that was good to soft.

De Sousa is back in the saddle, taking over from Joey Haynes which to us is a sign of intent. He has his preferred soft ground conditions and David Elsworth isn’t travelling here for the day out. He is here to win.