Race type - Flat
Pontefract
Course details
GUIDE - For Racecourse
Left-handed, oval circuit of about 2m.
Horse racing in the area can be traced back to the English Civil War but the current site is far more modern having opened its doors in 1801. Apart from a break for the First World War, racing has been continuous since and even Adolf Hitler couldn't prevent them running the Ebor Handicap here in 1943 on the closure of its current home York. The Pontefract Park Race Company Ltd, which was formed in 1916, still runs the track today and a fine job it does too with some of the best facilities in the north waiting to greet racegoers, who have easy access due to the proximity of the M62 motorway. Visitors might be tempted to sample the famous Pontefract 'cakes', which are a type of liquorice-flavoured sweet made in the area!
Track / Draw Bias:
Low numbers have always been considered best here for the reason that the course is not too dissimilar to Chester, having several distinct left-hand turns with a short home straight. Clearly those horses drawn low against the inside rail are able to travel the shortest way round and save valuable ground. However, the bias has been less pronounced in recent seasons and high numbers more than hold their own now whatever the ground, but particularly so on soft/heavy.
Principal Races:
The continuous circuit allows for several long distance races to be staged throughout the season, with the runners starting in front of the grandstand. The most notable of these is the Marathon Handicap over 2m 5f 122yds, which is the second longest race in the flat calendar after the Queen Alexandra Stakes, run over an extra 37 yards. The richest race run here in 2011 was the EBF "Showcasing" Flying Fillies' Stakes over 6f with prize money of nearly £20k.
Course Characteristics:
The oval racing circuit spans a shade over 2m, making it the longest continuous flat racing track in the country. There are some severe undulations and the last half mile is all uphill, thus placing a premium on stamina especially when the ground is riding soft. The run-in is relatively short at around 2f so jockeys need to be handily positioned as they enter the home straight, or else they will have too much ground to make up.
Top Trainers:
Richard Fahey leads the way numerically over the past five seasons with his 25 runners coming at a strike rate of around 15% and with a few bigger-priced ones, you would have made a profit backing all his runners. Mark Johnston is another frequent visitor to the winner's enclosure here, along with fellow northern-based trainers Kevin Ryan and John Quinn. Of the big southern yards, this has been a happy hunting ground for Godolphin (36% strike rate), Sir Henry Cecil (30%) and the now retired Barry Hills. The latter's son Charlie has now taken over the reigns and it will be a surprise if he doesn't keep up the yard's excellent strike rate of 26%.
Top Jockeys:
Paul Hanagan leads the way numbers-wise with 27 winners over the past five seasons, closely followed by Silvestre De Sousa, whose 22 winners have come at the better strike rate of 19%. With both riders set to ride more in the south in 2012, there will be more opportunities for the likes of Joe Fanning, Franny Norton, Graham Gibbons and Jimmy Quinn. Of the southern-based riders, Jamie Spencer (12 winners / 20%) and Kieren Fallon (8 winners / 22%) should always be followed when making the trip up here.