Tread carefully in Ash Wednesday feature

PUNTERS should tread carefully in the holiday Ash Wednesday feature in which old rivals LABAN, DUKE and FREEDOM STREET face down-in-class MONEY MONSTER at six and a half furlongs, the trip at which pace often collapses.

A challenging event for even the most astute of punters, the Ash Wednesday presents a wide range of scenarios, varying from weight swings to back class, with form and race-fitness thrown in for good measure.

Navigating the mine field of the Ash Wednesday, races such as eight-year-old DUKE’s last outing, a sixth-place finish behind A GIFT FROM BEN at five and a half furlongs, must be marked as too bad to be true, especially in what could have been a race-filling appearance for the grey.

DUKE was a length and a half ahead of A GIFT FROM BEN when running strong for fourth place, from post-position one, behind YELLOWSTONE at five furlongs straight on January 6. Hence, the grey’s inexplicably poor run – beaten 10 lengths by A GIFT FROM BEN three weeks later – should be taken with a spoon of salt.

Though long in the tooth at age eight, DUKE must not be underestimated, especially in a pace prone to collapse, as might very well be the case, with FREEDOM STREET and LABAN expected to have another go at each other following their second and third-place finishes behind out-of-class PERFECT BREW at seven furlongs on December 16.

Carrying a flyweight 107lb, LABAN set a cracking pace for stablemate PERFECT BREW to pounce, dragging FREEDOM STREET off his bridle. LABAN reports 15lb heavier whereas FREEDOM STREET goes up by 12, not the best of handicaps for both to get into a pickle on the lead.

MONEY MONSTER reports off a six-month break with open-allowance experience under his girth, outclassed by the likes of imported RUNAWAY ALGO, EMPEROROFTHECATS and ATOMICA before going off for what could very well be a class-relief break last August.

Returning among overnight-allowance runners, MONEY MONSTER is technically down two groups, considering the horses he kept company at the level a year ago are now grade-one runners. However, race-fitness could be a factor for MONEY MONSTER returning with topweight off a six-month break at a testy distance, made worse by sparse exercise gallops.

Similarly, GREEN GOLD RUSH, who had shown vast improvement, beating overnight allowance last July, after just getting home against claimers in April, appears suspect but dangerous, having last raced on Boxing Day in a cracking six and a half furlongs won by PRESS CONFERENCE.