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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.
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
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Distance Horse (Going) Date Winning time 5f Judicial (Good to Firm) 24 Apr 2017 1m 0.49s 6f Mehronissa (Good) 14 Aug 2016 1m 14.04s 1m 4y Red Tea (Good to Firm) 24 Apr 2017 1m 41.39s 1m 2f 6y Ennistown (Good to Firm) 25 Sep 2014 2m 10.04s 1m 4f 8y Freedom's Light (Good) 22 Jun 2014 2m 34.1s 2m 1f 27y Becky The Thatcher (Good to Firm) 11 Jun 2018 3m 44.87s 2m 2f 2y Akavit (Good to Firm) 25 Jun 2017 3m 58.33s 2m 5f 122y Tuscan Gold (Good to Firm) 24 Apr 2017 4m 53.25s -
Trainer Runners Wins Prize Money Strike-Rate P/L R A Fahey 218 32 £233,552 14.68% -£15.24 M Johnston 130 26 £192,204 20% -£45.59 T D Easterby 136 16 £117,351 11.76% -£45.67 D O'Meara 112 13 £105,925 11.61% -£71.50 K A Ryan 66 11 £65,628 16.67% £11.71 Sir Michael Stoute 34 10 £100,643 29.41% -£10.56 R M Whitaker 40 10 £51,018 25% £8.58 Micky Hammond 92 9 £37,379 9.78% -£42.25 Mrs R Carr 63 8 £41,681 12.7% £2.75 J J Quinn 48 8 £36,405 16.67% -£0.79 -
Jockey Runners Wins Prize Money Strike-Rate P/L D Tudhope 121 23 £144,529 19.01% -£24.83 S De Sousa 83 19 £132,524 22.89% -£20.08 P Hanagan 95 17 £95,964 17.89% £10.55 F Norton 72 16 £98,573 22.22% -£9.81 D Allan 89 13 £95,075 14.61% -£14.00 G Lee 125 12 £102,096 9.6% -£50.25 P J McDonald 101 12 £78,872 11.88% -£62.14 T Hamilton 104 11 £77,841 10.58% -£35.50 J Fanning 63 11 £75,014 17.46% £16.53 Ben Curtis 63 11 £74,742 17.46% £24.75
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Last Update: 24/01/2019 07:00
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Address & Contact
Pontefract Park Race Co. Ltd
Administration Offices
Pontefract Park
Park Road
Pontefract
West Yorkshire
WF8 4QD
01977 781307
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