Well-bred French gelding Pontmain can get back into the winner’s stall at Gundagai on Monday

As of yesterday, French-bred blueblood Pontmain is an eight-year-old Wagga maiden winner.

It’s a CV that in no way matches his talent or gets close to the regard in which he is held by his trainer Tim Donnelly.

‘’Honestly he would probably be, ability-wise, the best horse I’ve had since I’ve been at Wagga,’’ Donnelly says.

“It’s just a shame that he bowed his tendon but that’s not his only problem.

“He is really holding together well. I take him down to the water-walker in between races and took out on Sunday morning and his joints look good.’’

Pontmain sent out some positive signs that a second win beckons at his most recent start at Narrandera in an uncommonly strong Benchmark 66 over 2100m.

Donnelly’s gelding stuck to his guns despite the shifting ground to clock-in third behind Vallaurius who franked the form with his fifth at Kensington last Wednesday.

Monday’s Gundagai assignment looks decidedly easier by comparison but the son of 2009 French Derby winner, Le Havre, will still have to overcome a wide barrier on a wet track.

‘’He is not really suited to heavy, ideally ‘slow’ would be better but it doesn’t look a strong race,’’ says Donnelly.

‘’He actually races pretty handy but we will see how it pans out. If he has to get back a little bit then he will, but 2100m back to 1800m – I think he will be strong at the end anyway.’’

Meanwhile the famous Tait family colours can fly highest for the second time in three days via the Tie The Knot relation, Pushkar.

Pushkar’s owners Olly Tait and Jill Nivison combined with Patrick Payne to win the last race at The Valley on Saturday with Spinning Hill’s grandson, Mr Pickwick.

As for Pushkar, nothing is likely to be finishing faster in Monday’s Tooheys Extra Dry Benchmark 58 Handicap over the 1180m.

‘’He does like the wet,’’ Donnelly offered. ‘’He is a very honest horse and really doesn’t run a bad race so he will be hard to beat.

“Whether barrier one is the spot to be by that time……. they usually all get off the fence at Gundagai, so if they do that, he will be able to get out.

‘’He is no star but he honest and he does like the wet, that’s one thing about him.’’

Pushkar has won three times in 21 starts at distances ranging from 1150m to 1200m.

Donnelly’s first runner on Monday’s Gundagai card is Jac Magic, a replica of her sire Magic Albert and bred on the exact same cross that sprung the BTC Cup winner, Albert The Fat.

Jac Magic’s record currently reads; one third from five career starts, but has pleased her trainer even in defeat.

‘’A couple of her unplaced runs were actually quite good,’’ he says. ‘’She is not out of that race on Monday.

“Her form is a lot better than it reads.’’

Originally published asTim Donnelly-trained gelding again looking for winner’s stall

Source: Read Full Article