Horse Racing Betting Tips for Pontefract on Tuesday 5th April 2022

Soft ground, with good to soft in places is the going description for Tuesday’s flat meeting at Pontefract in West Yorkshire.

The seven-race card features races run over distances ranging from 6f to 2m 2f and we will provide horse racing tips, previews and predictions for three of the races taking place.

“Tip of the Day” – Peter The Great (2.40pm Pontefract) – 15/8 with William Hill

It would be no surprise to see John & Thady Gosden’s son of New Approach running in Group company before the end of the season and the four-year-old should prove hard to beat in this handicap off a mark of 92.

2.40pm Pontefract - Peter The Great (Nap) - 2/1 with bet365* cta_button_2

2.40pm Pontefract. 1m 2f

Unraced as a juvenile, the John & Thady Gosden-trained PETER THE GREAT made a fine start to his career with a debut victory in Newmarket’s Wood Ditton Stakes last April. The son of New Approach just failed to follow-up on Newcastle’s all-weather surface just over five weeks later when greenness probably contributed to the horse’s half length defeat.

Peter The Great got back to winning ways on his next start when easily landing the odds in a Newmarket novices’ stakes before having his first start in handicap company, also at headquarters, in a competitive Class 2 contest.

Beaten a little under five lengths, that was still a fine effort behind the winner Dubai Honour who went on to win two Group 2 races in France, while runner-up Foxes Tales won a Haydock Group 3 on his next start, both horses ending the season competing in Group 1 company.

It would be no surprise to see Robert Havlin’s mount going on to become a Graded performer this season. With form on a good to soft surface and off a handicap mark of 92, Peter The Great should take plenty of beating here before stepping up in class. Top weight Inzajati did nothing but improve last season and looks the main danger, although the mount of James Doyle faces a stiff test in trying to concede 6lb to the selection.

2.40pm Pontefract - Peter The Great (Nap) - 2/1 with bet365* cta_button_2

'He's come back and trained nicely. I think he did it well, it was a pleasing debut'

John Gosden talks over Peter The Great's run in the Wood Ditton and gives a look at the roadmap for some of the big names at his yard#ITVRacing pic.twitter.com/ZycbF9ATq5
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) April 15, 2021

3.15pm Pontefract. 6f

Buckshaw Village, Lethal Levi and Pocket The Profit all showed decent juvenile form last season and the trio look set for more successes in the months ahead. The horse who makes most appeal on this occasion however is the Charlie & Mark Johnston-trained LOVE DE VEGA, for a stable with an excellent record at the track.

The Lope De Vega colt finished second on his first two starts as a two-year-old before opening his account with a comfortable victory over a Godolphin horse at Nottingham in July. Prior to that victory, the mount of Franny Norton was beaten two lengths by Vintage Clarets at Ayr.

Richard Fahey’s horse went on to finish a length and a half third in Royal Ascot’s Group 2 Coventry Stakes on his next start earning a rating of 103, so it is easy to make a strong case for Love De Vega on his handicap debut running off a mark of 81.

3.15pm Pontefract - Love De Vega (Nb) – 3/1 with William Hill cta_button_2

4,194 and counting for Mark Johnston – the trainer with the most winners in British racing history! pic.twitter.com/ulKTbAl9dd
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) August 23, 2018

4.25pm Pontefract. 1m

Top weight Gainsbourg, a winner over today’s course and distance last October must have a good chance of recording a second victory at the West Yorkshire racecourse off a 6lb higher mark. But at a short price the mount of Kevin Stott is worth opposing with each-way selection MUSIC SEEKER, one of two runners for the Declan Carroll stable.

The mount of 5lb claimer Zac Wheatley will strip fitter for his run at Doncaster recently when running well for a long way in an apprentice handicap. The eight-year-old has dropped to an attractive career-low mark of only 67 and if showing anything like his form when second on his last visit to the course in June 2020, would have a big chance in this company.