IT is the 12th annual Red Shirt Night at Pontefract tomorrow evening.
The course's third and final evening meeting of the summer will raise revenue for the Injured Jockeys' Holiday Fund to once again send a party of disabled former jockeys on a holiday to Tenerife.
The fixture is named after former trainer Jack Berry, famous for his trademark red shirts, who has been a major fund-raiser over the years for this worthy cause in his capacity as a trustee for the Injured Jockeys' Fund.
The feature race of the evening is the £15,000 Antonia Deuters Rated Handicap over five furlongs, which looks a good opportunity for Zarzu to supplement his recent Musselburgh success.
Connor Dore's sprinter gained a fluent victory on that occasion and has only a 3lb penalty to carry tomorrow, in advance of being re-handicapped from Saturday.
Accomplished apprentice Richard Thomas, in the saddle in Scotland, again takes the mount on Zarzu, who is fancied to show his rivals a clean pair of heels.
Darlington trainer Michael Dods, who has his horses in rude health, can gain another success, courtesy of Hula Ballew in the Weatherbys Injured Jockeys' Fund Handicap.
The four-year-old benefitted from a change to waiting tactics over this course and distance ten days ago and romped home by six lengths.
A 6lb penalty hardly looks enough to anchor her if she can reproduce that performance tomorrow.
Swynford Pleasure has yet to get her head in front this season, but the James Hetherton-trained mare is a past winner on this course, which should stand her in good stead in the totequadpot Fillies' Handicap. Dale Gibson has the mount.
Sewmuch Character, another course and distance winner in action, should not be overlooked in the concluding race, the Injured Jockeys' Classified Stakes.
A decent second to Willheconquertoo at Windsor last time, the five-year-old is napped to go one better.
Tomorrow's principal afternoon action comes from Newbury, where Frankie Dettori looks likely to be playing a strong role.
The popular Italian teams-up with Desert Destiny in the £20,000 Tattersalls Conditions Stakes.
An excellent second to Arakan in a Group 3 race at Newmarket last month, Desert Destiny would only need to reproduce that sort of performance to get his head in front here.
The Nayef Rose Bowl Stakes, which carries Listed status, is the target for Black Velvet, the mount of Martin Dwyer.
A winner on his debut, Black Velvet is clearly held in some regard by his trainer, Marcus Tregoning, who has given him a two month break since his initial success. A follow-up victory looks well on the cards.
Friday's tips:
Pontefract
6.40 Noodles, 7.10 Swynford Pleasure, 7.40 Zarzu, 8.10 Hula Ballew, 8.40 Gift Voucher, 9.10 Sewmuch Character (Nap).
Newbury
2.00 Quickfire, 2.35 Swan Nebula, 3.05 Desert Destiny, 3.35 Black Velvet, 4.10 Gwen John, 4.40 Unsuited, 5.10 Yorkshire Blue.
Tomorrow's other meetings are at Carlisle (afternoon, Flat), Hamilton (evening, Flat), Newmarket (evening, Flat) and Southwell (afternoon, Flat).
Updated: 12:09 Thursday, July 15, 2004
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