Nod towards the old chalk jockey and odds indicator off pre-digital times
It cost £14 to get into the main grandstand and paddock, although typical of Yorkshire tracks there is a great deal of segregation into Premier and Members this and that. Given that it isn’t the biggest track in terms of facilities it makes for a cramped environment. So that was a bit of a downer for me. I did like the old fashioned entry with Art Deco type facade. The race card at £2 was good value but no foaling dates for the two year olds. Some interesting notes to differentiate North and West Yorkshire based on visiting Thirsk and Pontefract. One has a Blacksmith and the other has a Farrier. One has a strict jacket, tie, no jeans policy, the other county appears not so stringent. This is based on the decidedly dishevelled appearance of one winning owner picking up a pot allows Boss Jeans and a crumpled shirt with the collar half up and half down reminiscent of someone turning up for work late at the pottery factory after a hard night out.
1950s style entrance offset by period farmer's pick up
For a track so close to the major motorways of Yorkshire it was particularly difficult for me to find and probably is to the unwary. When you come off the A1 first time where there is a sign for Pontefract you have entered a time warp to the Second World War where the directions were designed to mislead should the Germans invade. Do not be conned into taking this first turn whatever you do. This leads you through by what look like a typical pit-town. Upton was a tidy town and you’d probably think it would have good spirit. By the time you get through Upton you start to believe that seeing a sign for Pontefract was in the dim and distant past. At this point being lost is a distinct possibility. A sign for Badsworth is a must to follow for those who followed one of the greatest two mile chasers in history. The village is pretty but although no sign of any commemoration of the most famous namesake. Though there was one for Pontefract, at last!
View across paddock towards yet another restricted access facility
However the torture was not quite complete as when you hit Pontefract a carefully positioned sign to maximise ambiguity appeared to steer the newcomer to the right. Wrong. This adds ten minutes to your drive. Going through Pontefract you will find it a busy town plenty of traffic.
This is a massive irregular pentagon shaped track of about two mile perimeter. It has quite a few undulations and a short straight which makes coming from off the pace difficult. As such it is testing and a real gallop. There is no chute therefore sprints incorporate a bend thus two year olds are often facing a bend for the first time in their racing lives when they run at Pontefract. Like most courses Ponte has had its share of specialists, one of which ran tonight and had a race named in his honour.
The racetrack has a park and lake inside its centre. The infield is free to the public and as this was an evening meeting as it was no surprise to see the car parks almost full. This makes it very good value as at this stage in the day everything was free. The public area gives a full view of the racecourse, access all along the home straight including the winning post. There is an old fashioned riders’ board. This was a real throwback to my early days of going racing. There was the so called chalk jockeys, these are the ones who have little reputation and haven’t got a painted board to slip in to the appropriate slot. The old method of using blue or yellow for example as background colour to the horse number to indicate the claimers allowance was the first time I had seen this for some years.
Pontefract is of course the spiritual home of the lazy punter. Like me. Phil Bull’s idea takes the drudgery out of piling through volumes of formbooks and analysis of the clues within them or leaving assessment to reviewing a couple of lines in the Sporting Chronicle – which was the racing paper of choice to me and my teenage betting shop cohorts. Timeform was a brilliant innovation by applying science and rational calculation to a game which some still believe is crooked and ****. Timeform showed that most races can be analysed and those with the clearest chance in a high proportion of races dominating the frame. The times you review the race afterwards and see that the Timeform commentary pointed you in the right direction predominate. To back without this aid requires too much time, too much experience and plenty of connections if you want to be profitable. However I think that Timeform is not as punchy as it used to be. Too vague on suggesting going requirements. Not harsh enough in analysis of temperament or ability. Often happy to congregate around a mean like a market research return on rating service between 1 and 5 90% of returns will be between 2 and 4 so as not to offend too much. Perhaps Timeform is now part of the establishment.
The first race tonight was a very ordinary auction stakes for maiden two year old fillies over six furlongs. It was won by the resolute Pendle Lady, ignored in the market after running green on debut, led for much and kicked clear. This is a poor race so I am afraid she will be unlikely to support a penalty. The runner up Majestic Zafeen had shown promise when third on debut, but tonight threw her head around looking decidedly ungenuine when throwing away the race on quite a few occasions. She is likely to be green after such limited exposure but she looks a temperamental sort best kept well away from. As such is a negative at the moment as is very likely to go off much shorter than I think warrants. Sunny Side Up ran with a bit of promise to be third showing speed time two out. Debutante In A Jiffy was well supported in the market swerved out the stalls, didn’t handle the bend and generally was all over the place. Has some ability and can gain from this experience particularly over a straight six somewhere and rates a positive as I think will be decent odds next run.
In a nice varied card there was a 17 furlong class 4 handicap. This was on the face of it a tight handicap. This race was also part of an innovative scheme by the executive for the Pontefract Stays’ Championship. It was won in fine style by the top weight Wells Lyrical who had looked like returning to something like his best with a fair run at Musselburgh. Tracked leader and was then pushed on to lead 3 out, stayed on resolutely to win by five lengths. Hollins finished second staying on at just the one pace, clearly stays well and has some fair hurdling form. Third home was the held up Pittodrie Star who came with a run too late to throw down a challenge. May have been better closer to the pace but the winner looked different class so probably ran about as well as he is. Of the others Maoi Chinn Tire, who is a good hurdler, ran prominently looking to take a hand before weakening two out appearing not to stay further than 1m6 on the level, Spruzzo ran as well as he can to finish fourth being given every chance by Kelly Harrison and Vision of Johanna was ridden as if stamina was a doubt and despite making progress 3 out he weakened to suggest this was too far. The other runners Jackson and Dan Buoy were comprehensively thrashed.
A well contested three year old handicap sprint was the feature race on the card in commemoration of fine course specialist Mr Wolf. It was a class3 event over six furlongs. It was won by Lois The Pious who was ridden just off the pace and produced two out to lead at the distance for a comfortable win. Well suited by a stiff 6 furlongs having just been found our over seven at Haydock last run. Plenty of ability and interesting to see where his 74 mark moves to. Second home was Jade who looked particularly well in the paddock. Clearly at home here having a CD to her name and ran very well battling down the straight but just getting done close home by half a length. Breezolini stayed on well to be third and may suit softer ground. Favourite Foxtrot Hotel had no sort of run after being held up early. Ended being switch and by the time was ready for run the first two had slipped clear. I think he is on a nice mark at the moment of 82, has plenty of ability to do well as a sprint handicapper and perhaps a straight galloping six furlongs will see him back in the winners’ enclosure soon. Of the others Strictly Pink is pretty well exposed to the handicapper looked in very good shape but ran about as well as he could behind some decent under the radar sorts, Fieldgunner Kirkup who I had seen run well when second at Thirsk recently was eased when chance had gone two out looking like protection of mark a priority and King Ferdinand was prominent until weakening furlong out and may suit a sharper track having won at Chester earlier in the season.
The other three year old handicap was a class 4 affair over ten furlongs. It was won by the useful looking top weight Seelo who led early and then kicked clear two out to win by a very comfortable seven length without being given a hard time of it. Looks the sort to be able to step up to listed company on the face of this effort, has done well at galloping tracks. The rest were well strung out and difficult to make any positive observations, The favourite Watercourse was soon under pressure as tried to keep tabs on the winner but was beaten before the straight and the fancied Maktoum horse Mutayaser was help up and seemed to be coming with run until eased right down into the straight suggesting that something has gone amiss with him.
The class 5 all age handicap over six furlongs was won in a close finish by top weight Apache Ridge who performs well on these stiff tracks over the six. Not much better than class 5 though. Ran and battled well tonight to outpoint the favourite by a diminishing neck. Close To The edge is another specialist around here looking to be well in on the book ran with credit tonight as three year old are not that well treated at this stage of the season so could be on the right side. Third home was Stamp Duty who ran a great race for a three year old especially given that he has shown his best form in soft ground. Marks as a positive when he has conditions to suit.
Final race tonight was a five furlong class 5 handicap. This race contained the course specialist ten year old top weight Mr Wolf who had a race named after him earlier in the card. Tonight he led for much until being run out of it at the distance to finish a respectable fourth. It was won by Lingfield specialist Hinton Admiral who after a sluggish start put his stamina to best use getting up late. Jigajig ran on late and led 100 yards out but was nutted on the line tends to be in and out of form. Unlucky loser was outsider Silvanas who never had any luck in running being denied a clear run at least twice so did very well to finish third. Goes well for Hanagan (which horse doesn’t) and has won twice at Musselburgh. On the bare bones of how this race ran I would have to mark him as a positive.
Notebook
Majestic Zafeen (N) up £10
0
Next run was rubbish but hasn't been seen out since
In A Jiffy (P) down £30
0 0 0
I think I should stop taking drugs this one was absolutely rubbish and review of the race itself that led to me giving her a psitive rating was such a bad run that I am still trying to work out why I thought she had any potential at all
Foxtrot Hotel (P) level
3 3
Not backed yet as hasn't had a race without a bend. I would back him a the straight six. Still have to close on level
Seelo (P) down £30
3 0 0
Not disgraced next run but then went up a stone in the handicap and was shelved after three efforts
Stamp Duty (P) down £10
0
Needs soft ground so restricted backing to when there is soft in the description. The onlly happened once and he was thrashed. I think that was because he is suited to 6f not the mile he was raced over. Still worth a gamble in the spring is over 6f with a decent cut but is to be shelved now
Silvanas (P) down £10
2
Suited by Musselburgh type tracks so betting restricted to that then. Only ran once over the 5f on similar which was Catterick (other runs were at Ponte and Beverley). That run was a good 2nd at decent 11/1 each was price