Nap of the Day: Mount King to make more happy memories at Pontefract

The Flat season is really kicking into gear after a cracking renewal of The Eclipse at Sandown on Saturday, and Newmarket’s July Festival is quick on the heels, with another three days of top-quality racing on the level later this week. Before that, we have some competitive racing at Pontefract on Tuesday afternoon with a seven-race card including the Listed Pipalong Stakes.

However, my Nap of the Day comes a little later in the day in the Class 5 one-mile handicap, where I think a last-time-out winner could be hard to stop in his bid for another success in Yorkshire.

Pontefract is a real horses-for-courses track with the ground often on the quick side and the unique long, stiff run before the turn for home.

Horses who can see out their races strongly are usually at an advantage at this venue.

Tuesday’s nap is the five-year-old handicapper, Mount King, who has recorded three of his four wins at the West Yorkshire track and seems to have found a new lease of life for waiting tactics this season, having recorded both of his 2023 successes from the front.

The five-year-old arrives on the back of a fairly facile course and distance success, handing the consistent Cosmos Raj a two-and-a-half length defeat, and he’s probably going to be one or two pounds well in under a 5lb when he’s reassessed by the handicapper on Tuesday morning.

This looks like a tougher race than last week, but his latest run was a career-best effort, and he’s likely to get a decent pace to aim at once again.

With David Allan also retained in the plate, there’s an argument to say he should be the outright favourite for this event, but there might be value in the price.

With conditions in his favour and an ideal setup back at his favourite venue, Tim Easterby’s gelding ticks all the right boxes.

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