Promise set to shine at Pontefract

After a striking win at Newmarket last time out, Roger Varian’s filly was raised 9lb in the handicap to a mark of 95, prompting connections to take their chance at Listed level.

A winner of four of her seven starts for the Lordship Stud, the daughter of Shamardal is a half-sister to the 2000 Oaks winner Love Divine.

“She did it well at Newmarket. She’s got a wonderful pedigree and the whole idea of keeping her in training as a four-year-old is to get some black type,” said Varian.

“It looks a nice race to go for. She’ll have to step up a little bit but she’s come out of her last race well and we’d be hopeful that she can be competitive. It will be quick ground but I would think that will suit her better than soft ground looking at her pedigree, being by Shamardal. She actually ran poorly on soft ground at the end of last year. You go up hill at Pontefract anyway so you are meeting the ground, it’s not like running down hill.”

Dark Promise faces seven rivals, including the winner of the race 12 months ago, Tim Easterby’s Off Chance.

Tom Tate could be triple-handed in Saturday’s 52nd John Smith’s Cup at York after confirming Distant Memories, Kings Gambit and Prince Of Johanne for the valuable Knavesmire handicap.

Distant Memories won in Listed company at Pontefract on his latest start and has been allotted top-weight, although some of the burden may be offset by an apprentice jockey. Kings Gambit is next in the weights, having won a Sandown Group Three earlier in the season, while Prince Of Johanne has won two of his three starts this season.

The Tadcaster handler said: “They would all be likely runners at this stage, but we will make our mind up for definite on Thursday morning. Everything is a possibility as the weather is forecast to change.”

Sheffield’s world champion heptathlete Jessica Ennis has become one of the owners of the racehorse that shares her name.

The two-year-old filly is owned by Highclere Thoroughbred Racing and is in training with Michael Bell. She was purchased by John Warren on behalf of the syndicate for 82,000 guineas at the Tattersalls Sales in April and is due to make her debut at Newmarket this weekend.