Winning machine Eastern Charm bids to get back in front in competitive Pontefract handicap

It could be premature to believe the handicapper has finally nailed the William Haggas-trained win-machine Eastern Charm.

Successful six times at a mile this year, the three-year-old finished a well-beaten third behind Classic Times at Sandown on her most recent start.

The Roger Varian-trained winner has since been turned over at Hamilton, but it’s highly likely she was below-par that afternoon.

She had previously looked a very well-handicapped filly and it’s also possible that the very soft, holding ground – the runners all came to the stands’ side rail in the straight – didn’t suit Eastern Charm last time.

My Honey B, victorious in three handicaps for Mick and David Easterby during the summer, also saw her winning run ended last time out. She was by no means disgraced, though, in finishing a two and three-quarter length fourth to Mount King at Thirsk, and could still have more to offer at this level.

My Honey B renews rivalry with Mount King on 3lb better terms, and there shouldn’t be much between the pair.

In These Shoes ran well to finish third to Real Gain at Newmarket last month, and has subsequently been dropped 1lb by the handicapper.

She was 5lb higher in the weights when third behind Chartwell House and Royal Charter (winner since) at Haydock in June, and ought to run another bold race.

There should be more to come too from handicap debutante Create, who would be unbeaten in two Southwell starts but for suffering significant interference last time.
Race analysis by Richard Birch

Going update

The going at Pontefract on Sunday was good to soft, with the Going Stick reading 7.2 on Sunday morning. After 23mm of rain in the seven days to Thursday, Monday is forecast to be another dry and occasionally sunny day, with a maximum temperature of 20C. There is fresh ground on the bend into the home straight.

What they say

Ed Bethell, trainer of Indiana Be
It's quite a warm race and Mr Haggas's horse Eastern Charm looks pretty useful having won five of her last six starts, but my lad ran well at Pontefract from a bad draw last time and hopefully he's going there in just as good a form. The ground should suit and he likes the track so we're hopeful of a nice run, but it is a competitive race.

Declan Carroll, trainer of Tobetso
He's done well for us and is a nice horse. It's a competitive race, but he's got a good draw in stall one and he's against his own age group, which is good as he's taken on older horses in his last two runs. He's okay with a bit of ease in the ground, so I can't see conditions being a problem.

Scott Dixon, trainer of Create
I think she's got more to offer and she's done everything right, but was incredibly unlucky last time at Southwell when she was second. Plenty said she should have won, but a horse broke down in the race and impeded her badly. We almost had to pull her up, but she was very game and ran on strongly at the end, just running out of time. She's come out of that absolutely fine and the ground is a bit of an unknown, but I think it's drying rapidly. There could be plenty of good in the ground by the time of the race so that shouldn't be a problem.
Reporting by James Burn

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