Racing: Percy can point punters to Pick6 success tonight

Percy The Punter won't get a better chance to thrust himself into contention for the Harness Jewels than at Alexandra Park tonight.

The highly-talented 4-year-old has had a stuttering season that has left him struggling at 21st on the stakes-based rankings for his ultra-competitive division of the Jewels, run at Cambridge on June 5.

While the cut-off date for Jewels qualifying is not until May 23, Percy The Punter is being aimed at the major 4-year-old races, like the Taylor Mile and Messenger, so won't get many chances for easy kills before the 12 for the Jewels are chosen.

He lies $6000 outside the top 12 at present, meaning victory tonight would put him in the field and far more likely to make the series, especially as so many of those top 12 will race each other exclusively in the final month of qualifying.

Trainer-driver Maurice McKendry says Percy The Punter is in the right shape to take advantage of tonight's drop in class.

"This is definitely easier than what he faced at the Auckland Cup meeting," said McKendry of the opposition in race seven at tonight's rare Alexandra Park Thursday meeting.

"I thought he only raced fair at the cup meeting but some of those horses are top class so the drop in class should be a big help.

"While I haven't done a lot with him in the last few weeks he is well in himself and he gets his chance."

Percy The Punter has the advantage of a good draw tonight and the 2700m will not bother him so he will be popular with punters chasing tonight's $100,000 Pick6.

While McKendry goes into tonight's meeting confident with his own stable star, he is not so cocky when assessing the chances of his best drive, Sir Lincoln at Addington tomorrow night.

The glamour colt returns to the track where he won the Sires' Stakes in November but faces a horror draw in the $40,000 Flying Stakes.

"It is going to be really hard for him from out there and I'd say we might drive him back in the field."

"He was below his best for the Derby last start so we want to get him spot on for their Derby down there."

Punters keen on tonight's Pick6 need look no further than Wild Isis in the first leg for their anchor.

The classy filly thrashed similar opposition last Friday and has not been re-handicapped so will only need to produce the same level of performance.

Her stablemate Bettor Cover Lover looks the other Pick6 standout against just four opponents in race nine, while Cullen's Crown stands out in the last leg, giving room to move in the tricky second and fourth legs.