Pontefract Course Guide

The West Yorkshire course hosts racing throughout the summer including four Listed contests of which the Pontefract Castle Stakes is arguably the seasonal highlight.

Run over a mile and a half, the race has been won by some useful horses since its inception in 2005, most notably Brown Panther, who scored in 2012 and 2013 before going on to prove himself a very smart horse with wins in the Goodwood Cup, Irish St Leger and Dubai Gold Cup.

Other important races run at the Yorkshire track include the Pipalong Stakes, a one-mile event for fillies and mares, the Pomfret Stakes, run over a mile for three-year-olds and older and the Silver Tankard Stakes, a one-mile race for two-year-olds in October.

Flat Racing

Left handed, with considerable gradients and a stiff, uphill finish. The emphasis is more on stamina than speed courtesy of the final three furlongs; as such, in-running punters should be wary of those who go for home a long way out. On very testing going, the jockeys occasionally race wide in search of better ground, swinging across to the stand side in the straight.

You have to be aware when you’re on a keen horse at Pontefract that, whether you go to post to the left or right, it’s downhill all the way to the start. Wise local punters often go down to the 1f marker to watch their fancy for that very reason. The track itself is incredibly stiff, a proper test, and being on the inside is a massive advantage. There’s a temptation to come wide, which can be a good move in soft ground, but, when it’s quick, you’re best to sit and suffer. Stamina there is always at a premium.

View from the saddle: Jason Weaver

Pontefract Top Times
Last 5 years

Flat

Distance	Horse (Going)	Date	Winning time
5f 3y	Fluorescence (Good to Firm)	16 Aug 2026	1m 0.94s
6f	Badri (Good)	07 Jul 2026	1m 13.52s
1m 6y	Holloway Boy (Good to Firm)	26 Jul 2026	1m 40.36s
1m 2f 5y	Have Secret (Good)	21 Apr 2026	2m 9.07s
1m 4f 5y	Allonsy (Good)	22 Jun 2025	2m 33.68s
2m 1f 27y	Queen Of Steel (Good)	09 Jun 2025	3m 43.36s
2m 2f 2y	Captain Potter (Good)	22 Jun 2025	3m 56.64s
2m 5f 139y	Quercus Robur (Good)	14 Apr 2025	4m 59.29s

Pontefract Top Trainers
Last 3 years (ordered by number of winners)

Flat

Trainer	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
T D Easterby	200	23	77	£112,266	11.5%	-£50.33
Mrs R Carr	74	15	21	£79,062	20.27%	£46.42
K R Burke	55	13	23	£158,569	23.64%	-£11.71
W J Haggas	26	12	10	£86,339	46.15%	£13.96
R A Fahey	102	11	38	£104,723	10.78%	-£39.48
R M Beckett	27	10	13	£120,747	37.04%	-£1.45
D O'Meara	79	9	39	£57,937	11.39%	-£47.09
P T Midgley	80	9	30	£39,387	11.25%	-£6.25
E Bethell	44	9	14	£114,395	20.45%	-£6.92
C Johnston	73	8	33	£44,883	10.96%	-£28.59

Pontefract Top Jockeys
Last 3 years (ordered by number of winners)

Flat

Jockey	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
D Tudhope	101	23	44	£230,268	22.77%	-£29.34
Jason Hart	133	20	51	£112,036	15.04%	-£22.13
D Allan	134	16	57	£76,655	11.94%	-£52.08
Joanna Mason	92	15	40	£70,341	16.3%	-£17.42
D Nolan	72	12	26	£72,335	16.67%	£28.25
Callum Rodriguez	51	11	20	£87,846	21.57%	-£5.13
O J Orr	95	10	36	£100,338	10.53%	-£32.73
Rossa Ryan	36	10	18	£61,555	27.78%	-£4.72
C Lee	40	10	15	£132,144	25%	-£0.80
Connor Beasley	72	9	27	£78,952	12.5%	-£10.92