Easterby pair worth keeping an eye on

Tim Easterby was amongst the winners at Hexham this afternoon and there were a couple of his string which caught the eye at Pontefract. The lightly raced Give It Some Teddy was bought cheaply out of the late Alan Swinbank's yard last July and he won on his first start for his new stable at Redcar in October. Runner-up next time at Newmarket, he was stepped up to a mile for his reappearance at the West Yorkshire track. Drawn wide in stall 11, the gelded son of Bahamian Bounty was dropped in towards the rear early on and taken to the inside. David Allan's mount never threatened the principals but he kept to nicely to finish seventh behind Mick Easterby's Gulf of Poets. Beaten nearly ten lengths, he will be straightened for the run and is handicapped to win more races off his mark of 74. Fast ground is an unknown.

Stablemate Orion's Bow has yet to win in 10 races for Easterby since joining the stable from the late David Nicholls. A five times winner and runner-up in the Stewards' Cup at Goodwood in 2016, the seven year old has slipped to a mark of 89 which is eight pounds lower than his last win. Contesting the five furlongs handicap at Pontefract and drawn in stall one, he showed his usual early speed and held every chance turning for home. However, the Pivotal gelding encountered traffic problems approaching the final furlong and David Allan was forced to sit and suffer. Denied by a length in third, I suspect he would have prevailed with a clear passage. In all likelihood, he will head to York's Dante meeting - there is a five and six furlongs handicap (16th & 17th May). It is worth bearing in mind though Orion's Bow has raced twice at the Knavesmire and finished 15th of 16 and 18th of 20. He is handicapped to win a good prize in the coming weeks but York may not be his track.