Pontefract preview: Oil primed to Strike

Oil Strike shaped as if coming to hand last time out and can take advantage of a drop in the weights to land the 6f handicap on this evening’s card at Pontefract (21.10).

The Mick Easterby-trained gelding scored twice over 5f back in 2013, landing a handicap at Beverley on fast ground by three lengths before following up four days later at Thirsk under a 6lb penalty.

Oil Strike made virtually all in the latter to win off a mark of 74, but after being raised 5lb his form tailed off.

The eight-year-old was also clearly amiss last season when well-beaten in two runs and subsequently off the track for 317 days.

However, there was lots to like about Oil Strike’s comeback run when a not knocked about eighth at Wolverhampton and he backed that up with a solid third at the same venue last time out when racing very wide before being beaten just 1 1/2 lengths.

Those runs show that Oil Strike retains enough ability to win a race off this nature, and the son of Lucky Story is now able to race off a rating of just 66.

That is 8lb lower than when last successful and gives Oil Strike major claims from a handicapping perspective if building on his latest effort.

Another plus is that Oil Strike has a good draw in stall three from which to attack, and with the stable in decent nick everything points to a big run.

In the 1m 2f handicap (20.10), the lightly-raced Making Shapes could well have got in lightly.

The Peter Chapple-Hyam trained colt has only had three starts and shaped with plenty of promise on the second of those when a 2 3/4 length third over course and distance to the now 90-rated Glan Y Gors.

Making Shapes duly built on that run to open his account in facile fashion at Newcastle, making all before drawing clear a furlong from home to score by six lengths without hardly having to break sweat.